Headbangers Only

[Sven]

So... metal.

Seriously, guys. What do you think? Any kind of metal: doom, black, thrash, prog, you name it. Gimme your favorites. Top 5. Albums, bands, whatever! Discuss.

Currently, I've been catching up on a ton of Judas Priest. Sad Wings of Destiny is still my favorite, but their discography really is a treasure of great riffs, virtuosic solos and vocals, decent lyrics, and an infectious good time.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Metallica's Kill 'Em All gets my blood pumping. Any time I need a quick energy boost, Hit the Lights does the trick. Also, Iron Maiden's Powerslave rocks my world.

[D_Davis]

Mastodon's new album is so good it hurts.

[MacGuffin]

Top 10 black metal:

1. Ulver - "Bergtatt - Et Eeventyr i 5 Capitler"
2. Mayhem - "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas"
3. Vlad Tepes / Belketre - "March to the Black Holocaust"
4. Immortal - "Blizzard Beasts"
5. Immortal - "At the Heart of Winter"
6. Mütiilation - "Vampires of Black Imperial Blood"
7. Burzum - "Filosofem"
8. Darkthrone - "Under a Funeral Moon"
9. Paysage d'Hiver - "Paysage d'Hiver"
10. Peste Noire - "La Sanie des siècles - Panégyrique de la dégénérescene"

[Skitch]

A few off the top of my head...



1. Zao - The Splinter Shards The Birth Of Seperation
2. Fear Factory - Obsolete
3. Slipknot - (self-titled)
4. Zao - Where Blood And Fire Bring Rest

[Skitch]

Mastodon's new album is so good it hurts.

I saw them a few years ago opening for Clutch in the basement of some bar in NC. Still the greatest show of my life.

[SirNewt]

as far as prog. goes, one album is scorching my drive.

-La-
-te-
-ra-
-lus-

[transmogrifier]

Not a fan of metal at all, really.

Tool I love, Metallica are fine, don't mind Envy, but the rest....meh.

[Sven]

Tool I love, Metallica are fine, don't mind Envy, but the rest....meh.

I think the fact that you find Metallica "fine" and "meh" the rest says more about the breadth of your experience with metal than about your taste itself.

That was presumptuous. Let me rephrase. Do you have much experience with metal? Because, and it is in the experience of this amateur listener, there are plenty of bands that deliver that Metallica rush with much greater dynamic zeal. I'm always wary of people lauding Metallica (and Tool, too, for that matter) because my immediate thought is "they listened to heavy alternative rock radio stations during the 90s," rather than forging any kind of relationship with the music of their own accord. Though you didn't mention Alice in Chains, which is in your favor. Though they are kind of awesome.

Still, I guess my point is: what does Metallica offer that Iron Maiden, a group just as literate, heavy, and technically proficient, does not?

[/clearly not the biggest fan of Metallica]

Anyway, where's dreamdead?

[Sven]

1. Zao - The Splinter Shards The Birth Of Seperation
2. Fear Factory - Obsolete
3. Slipknot - (self-titled)
4. Zao - Where Blood And Fire Bring Rest

I adore the cover art for Obsolete. Haven't heard the album. Will look into it.

I'm not too huge into metalcore. What kind of music does your band play? Do you still have a band?

[D_Davis]

Tool has more to offer than simply being on alternative radio in the '90s. I just repurchased their entire catalog, and it is an impressive body of mature rock as deftly composed as any.

Some other metalesque (including prog and more hard rock I guess) bands I like:

Agalloch, Opeth, Cave In (early stuff), Dillinger Escape Plan, Drowningman, Isis, Quicksand, and Godflesh.

[Skitch]

I adore the cover art for Obsolete. Haven't heard the album. Will look into it.

I'm not too huge into metalcore. What kind of music does your band play? Do you still have a band?

If you can listen to the first five tracks on Obsolete with out destroying your living area due to uncontrollable body flailing and headbanging, you're not into hard music. :) 'Shock' makes me want to break shit! I love it. So does 'Edgecrusher'.

My band was hard rock, but it is no more. Singer decided he was done last fall, and we split very amicably (sp?). It was a good thing. Rest of us just starting to work on new stuff again. We taking it slow, we're all pretty busy.

[transmogrifier]

I think the fact that you find Metallica "fine" and "meh" the rest says more about the breadth of your experience with metal than about your taste itself.

That was presumptuous. Let me rephrase. Do you have much experience with metal? Because, and it is in the experience of this amateur listener, there are plenty of bands that deliver that Metallica rush with much greater dynamic zeal. I'm always wary of people lauding Metallica (and Tool, too, for that matter) because my immediate thought is "they listened to heavy alternative rock radio stations during the 90s," rather than forging any kind of relationship with the music of their own accord. Though you didn't mention Alice in Chains, which is in your favor. Though they are kind of awesome.

Still, I guess my point is: what does Metallica offer that Iron Maiden, a group just as literate, heavy, and technically proficient, does not?

[/clearly not the biggest fan of Metallica]

Anyway, where's dreamdead?

Dude, you don't like Heavenly Creatures. We're so not made for each other.

Anyway, I never saw the point of forging a relationship with a music style I never had any affinity with. Surely you'd appreciate that, given your posts in the past on certain genres you hate.....?

[Sven]

Anyway, I never saw the point of forging a relationship with a music style I never had any affinity with. Surely you'd appreciate that, given your posts in the past on certain genres you hate.....?

Oh, most definitely. I was just being aggressively inquisitive. Sorry if I came off offensive or upset. Not the case.

[Sven]

Tool has more to offer than simply being on alternative radio in the '90s.

I did not wish to give the impression that I thought this (nor do I think it of Metallica).

[dreamdead]

Anyway, where's dreamdead?

Grading and writing long essays until Friday. I'll pop into this thread more afterwards.

I will say, however, that The Pax Cecilia (http://www.myspace.com/thepaxcecilia) and The Firstborn (http://www.myspace.com/unclenchedfists) are rather rocking my world right now. Otherwise, for those who dislike the death metal vocals, the Irish band Primordial (http://www.myspace.com/primordialofficial) continues to impress with tales that circumvent Irish Nationalism but still pay tribute to their heritage.

More later.

[Derek]

Metal bands I like: The Goslings, Boris, Jesu, essentially bands that veer towards metal at times, but are not full-time headbangers. I can stand to listen to Tool, but I don't usually do so by choice. Their videos, however, kick all sorts of ass.

Modern prog metal is one of my least favorite sub-genres right now. If it has shades of shoegaze or noise, that seems to be when I dig it.

[transmogrifier]

Metal bands I like: The Goslings, Boris, Jesu, essentially bands that veer towards metal at times, but are not full-time headbangers. I can stand to listen to Tool, but I don't usually do so by choice. Their videos, however, kick all sorts of ass.

Modern prog metal is one of my least favorite sub-genres right now. If it has shades of shoegaze or noise, that seems to be when I dig it.

Boris is metal? Guess I like metal more than I thought....what about Boredoms?

Probably I equate metal to sludgy sounding guitars accompanied by those annoying deep-bass screaming vocals which are just annoying. I never considered Tool metal much because of this.

[D_Davis]

"Metal" used to have a much more strict definition when it was just "heavy metal."

I think now the genre has many more sub-genres, and so more bands could be considered metal. I'd include both Tool and Boris in the prog-metal sub-genre, I guess.

Heavy prog-rock, perhaps?

Don't know, really.

[Thirdmango]

Metal has been something I've gotten into here or there. Mostly I like prog (Mars Volta) and electro-metal (NIN, White Zombie) and then classic metal (Metallica) and the alternative lighter metal. I dunno. I'm not too learned when it comes to most metal.

[Sven]

Probably I equate metal to sludgy sounding guitars accompanied by those annoying deep-bass screaming vocals which are just annoying. I never considered Tool metal much because of this.

You, sir, have an extremely limited definition of "metal." Might I direct you here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_metal_music)?

[transmogrifier]

You, sir, have an extremely limited definition of "metal." Might I direct you here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_metal_music)?

How about I just say I hate THAT kind of metal, and then I'll go and listen to Sonic Youth's latest? Cos that's what's gonna happen :)

[Sven]

Otherwise, for those who dislike the death metal vocals, the Irish band Primordial (http://www.myspace.com/primordialofficial) continues to impress with tales that circumvent Irish Nationalism but still pay tribute to their heritage.

Going to see them on Monday! Along with: Korpiklaani, Eluveitie, Moonsorrow, Blackguard, and Swashbuckler (pirate metal? Hmmm...)

All part of something they're calling "Paganfest."

I've gotta say: I'm not particularly knowledgeable about any of these guys, but I'm ridiculously excited, except so far I don't have anyone to go with me.

[monolith94]

Nope, sorry. I just can't get into that screamy screamy stuff.

[megladon8]

Mastodon is so good it hurts.


Yeah.

I often feel metal was the first music I really got into myself (that is, after I moved on from just listening to the stuff my parents listened to).

I started with stuff like Metallica and Megadeth, but now my taste goes all the way from cheesy '80s fantasy metal like Iron Maiden, to the heaviest-of-the-heavy death metal like Cryptopsy. And lots of stuff in between.

[Sven]

Nope, sorry. I just can't get into that screamy screamy stuff.

But what about the singy singy stuff?

[/deflating preconceptions]

[dreamdead]

I found Fear Factory's Demanufacture album strangely palatable back in 1995, and that was my bridge from Metallica's Black Album into more extreme music forms. Lots of mechanical double-bass and aggression, yet the songs have a heightened sense of melody that, for that time, was unusual. Later, of course, it would become the blueprint for tons of other bands. A perfect summer album, every year.

Emperor's To the Welkin at Dusk is one of the premiere black metal albums in my eyes, though the musical cacophony took about three months to finally click. Haunting, magisterial, and evocative despite the blistering pace that is set after the intro. For a symbolic continuation, Wolves in the Throne Room has been able to capture the spirit of this kind of black metal influence while purging the genre of its simplistic anti-christian vibe that comes off as perfunctory today.

And I think Sven would appreciate most of Enslaved's Vertabrae asthe screaming aggression that founded their career has been sublimated into 1970s prog rock influences...

And as noted in the General Music thread, Isis' new album is streaming on their myspace page. It's a huge return to form for them, capturing the crests that made Oceanic so wonderful while exploring the valleys that allowed Panopticon to be similarly luminous.

Most of the typical genre stuff is admittedly perfunctory. And when it lacks any sense of melody, it often deteriorates into the cliches that monolith and trans have critiqued the genre on. Beyond Sabbath, my classical metal knowledge remains weak, but I'm looking to try out some Iron Maiden soon. Suggestions?

[Sven]

Beyond Sabbath, my classical metal knowledge remains weak, but I'm looking to try out some Iron Maiden soon. Suggestions?

Thanks for all the input! You can trust that I will look into your recommendations. Demanufacture in particular sounds pretty interesting.

As for Maiden, I say you absolutely cannot go wrong with the masterful trifecta of Number of the Beast (prob my favorite), Piece of Mind, and Powerslave. I'm really liking Maiden these days: propulsive, almost trance-like driving force and a pretty developed lyrical quality as well. Too, I would look into Judas Priest. Where Maiden's rhythm section rules, Priest's leads are incomparable. Downing and Tipton are insane and Halford's voice, while sometimes at the service of forgettable lyrics, is never less than impressive. Painkiller, Screaming For Vengeance (Bloodstone FTW!), and (my fave) Sad Wings of Destiny are the best.

[monolith94]

Headbangers: there's a radio show that you can listen to online, called Return to the Pit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Return_to_the_Pit
It's on Monday nights, 11pm to 2am e.s.t. so it's a pretty interesting metal show.
http://wunh.unh.edu:8000/listen.pls

I'm not a metalhead, but the DJ really seems like he knows his stuff.

[megladon8]

Listening to a mix of Dark Tranquility and Decapitated right now.

Pretty awesome.

Makes me wants to go to the foods libraries.

[Sven]

Going to see [Primordial] on Monday! Along with: Korpiklaani, Eluveitie, Moonsorrow, Blackguard, and Swashbuckler (pirate metal? Hmmm...)

Awwwwesome night. Eluveitie wasn't there, sadly, but that's okay because the night was loooooong. Swashbuckler opened--not my kind of thing. Too overcharged and I'm done with pirates forever, though the frontman's bass playing was remarkable. Blackguard followed, infectious up-tempo metal from Quebec. Moonsorrow was incredible: epic, folk metal. Primordial was fantastic, their frontman was dynamite. Korpiklaani, who ended the night, was a huge letdown, sadly. I think it was the accordion. Dunno.

Anyway, rockin' good times. Bought tickets today for the Heaven and Hell show at the Garden in August: Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Dio, and Vinny Appice. Sweeeeet.

[megladon8]

Just getting to see Dio live would be worth the price.

[Sven]

Just getting to see Dio live would be worth the price.

Pre. Cise. Ly. Although Geezer and Iommi are nothing to slouch at.

[megladon8]

Pre. Cise. Ly. Although Geezer and Iommi are nothing to slouch at.


So since you get the tickets, I take it you weren't...the last...in line???

:lol:

Oh man. I crack myself up sometimes.

[megladon8]

Made a sweet metal mix CD for work tonight.

Here's the track list:


1.) Dethklok - "Deththeme"
2.) Children of Bodom - "Punch Me I Bleed"
3.) Metallica - "The Unforgiven"
4.) Tool - "Vicarious"
5.) In Flames - "Take This Life"
6.) Judas Priest - "You Got Another Thing Comin'"
7.) Decapitated - "Post (?) Organic"
8.) Pearl Jam - "Evn Flow"
9.) Soilwork - "Overload"
10.) Dark Tranquility - "Out of Nothing"
11.) White Zombie - "More Human Than Human"
12.) Kalmah - "Heroes to Us"
13.) Iron Maiden - "Moonchild"
14.) Mastodon - "Sleeping Giant"
15.) Killswitch Engage - "Rose of Sharyn"
16.) Trivium - "Ascendancy"
17.) Metallica - "The Unforgiven II"

[Sven]

Bought tickets to Porcupine Tree and Blue Oyster Cult today. This weekend I'm buying tickets to The Cult and pooooooossibly Dream Theater, not sure about that one.

What's become of me?

[Derek]

Really liked the new Wolves in the Throne Room album aside from the godawful screamy-screamy vocals. I wish it were a purely instrumental album because the guitar and drum work were fantastic.

[dreamdead]

Really liked the new Wolves in the Throne Room album aside from the godawful screamy-screamy vocals. I wish it were a purely instrumental album because the guitar and drum work were fantastic.

Have you listened to their prior album, Two Hunters? They utilized a female vocalist to wonderful effect a few times there. I've been hesitant to pick up this new one since others have critiqued for abandoning so much of the atmospheric quality that their earlier albums possessed.

I think I'll finally venture back into metal purchases with Ulcerate's album Everything is Fire. The guitars work some really nice textures and counterpoint that intrigue me. And that drumwork. :eek:

[megladon8]

Bought tickets to Porcupine Tree and Blue Oyster Cult today. This weekend I'm buying tickets to The Cult and pooooooossibly Dream Theater, not sure about that one.

What's become of me?



I would kill to see Porcupine Tree play.

[D_Davis]

Bought tickets to Porcupine Tree and Blue Oyster Cult today. This weekend I'm buying tickets to The Cult and pooooooossibly Dream Theater, not sure about that one.

What's become of me?

I'm going to Porcupine Tree in September.

Did you ever get Steven Wilson's last solo record? It's really, really good.

Glad you came around to PT - Wilson is an awesome musician, song writer, and producer.

[megladon8]

I'm going to Porcupine Tree in September.

Did you ever get Steven Wilson's last solo record? It's really, really good.

Glad you came around to PT - Wilson is an awesome musician, song writer, and producer.


I agree. I love it. I actually like it a lot more than some of Porcupine Tree's stuff.

[D_Davis]

I agree. I love it. I actually like it a lot more than some of Porcupine Tree's stuff.

Yeah - some of the guitar tone is out of this world.

[Derek]

Have you listened to their prior album, Two Hunters? They utilized a female vocalist to wonderful effect a few times there. I've been hesitant to pick up this new one since others have critiqued for abandoning so much of the atmospheric quality that their earlier albums possessed.

No, this is the first I've heard from them. I don't listen to much metal, but I found it to be incredibly atmospheric. I prefer the Glenn Branca/Rhys Chatham approach to guitars in metal to prog metal, most of which makes my ears bleed.

[transmogrifier]

So I like Fucked Up. I forgot about them. Headbangers? I don't know.

[Sven]

For dreamdead mostly, but I just thought I'd mention that I've been listening to the album Brave Murder Day by Katatonia on repeat for a while now. (Averaging about one listen every couple of days for the past week and a half or so.) So beautiful. Trance-like. Heavy, sad, but definitely elevating. Loving the Scandinavian Doom metal!

Favorite track. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdfNU94JQB0)

[dreamdead]

For dreamdead mostly, but I just thought I'd mention that I've been listening to the album Brave Murder Day by Katatonia on repeat for a while now. (Averaging about one listen every couple of days for the past week and a half or so.) So beautiful. Trance-like. Heavy, sad, but definitely elevating. Loving the Scandinavian Doom metal!


Interesting opinion. I'm not a fan of the production, which mutes the energy of the performances a bit too much. That said, I still find that "Brave," which is the opening track, is the song I come back to the most. The slight variations in riff throughout the song are fascinating, and the switch in song structure around 3:00 is probably my favorite moment. "Endtime" also works with the clean vocals. Though I generally like Åkerfeldt's vocals in Opeth and in guest spots, I have never really enjoyed his fill-in performances with Katatonia. As such, I am much more attuned to their "Viva Emptiness" album, which is more like depressing pop/rock than metal, but still contains solid tunery. :P

Some of Rudra's stuff, which explores intersections between Eastern Spiritual philospohy and typical thrash music, is interesting (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gZYhQCS-gw&feature=PlayList&p=27B8868697684395&index=41) to me right now...

[megladon8]

My new boss is a huge metal head.

He keeps trying desperately to get me to listen to the band Helmet.

[D_Davis]

He keeps trying desperately to get me to listen to the band Helmet.

Helmet is awesome. You should listen to them, and Quicksand.

[megladon8]

Been listening to and really enjoying Meshuggah.

I also have developed quite a fondness for Clutch.

[megladon8]

My boss whom I speak with about metal every day made me a great mix CD of Helmet, Clutch and Terror albums.

So I made him quite a large data CD containing 13 full albums, and I made a funny little black-and-white cover for it. Just a piece of paper I folded and stapled to hold the CD, with the names of the albums and a little drawing/title work.

Here it is...

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/3188/jamescd.jpg


I'd better get a raise.

[megladon8]

I'm enjoying the hell out of this band called iwrestledabearonce.

[megladon8]

Gojira is awesome.

[Skitch]

I also have developed quite a fondness for Clutch.

YYYEEEEEESSSSSSSS.

[D_Davis]

New Voivod today as well!

Radical.

[Sven]

New Voivod today as well!

Radical.

I've never heard of these guys. Listening to them now. They sound awesome!

[Sven]

Could it be that 21st Century Schizoid Man is the most awesomely covered song in history?

[D_Davis]

I've never heard of these guys. Listening to them now. They sound awesome!

Voivod is awesome. A great mix of straight forward metal and some space rock.

Gotta recommend Chrome as well - kind of a more punk-low-fi version of Voivod.

[Sven]

I goddamn love this song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW2g4NNKgdE). The album is also great. This dude is a genius.

[Sven]

I'm having a hard time accepting Helloween.

[D_Davis]

I'm having a hard time accepting Helloween.

They're terrible.

[D_Davis]

These guys befriended me on My Space today.

Check them out, they're pretty dang awesome.

In Musth

http://www.myspace.com/inmusthband

[Qrazy]

Someone link me to some good metal so I can see if it's something I could ever get into, because I am also not a fan of the genre. However as a fan of Hip-hop I will acknowledge that it's important to have a broad experience base so I'm not writing off metal entirely quite yet.

Tool's OK, I liked Mars Volta's first album and miscellaneous other stuff.

I do not like what I've heard from Black Sabbath much. Iron Maiden is a little better. Listening to Fear of the Dark now to refresh my memory and it's relatively enjoyable. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs seem to have some metal influence in a few of their tracks (I know Nick Zinner is involved in mathcore) and I enjoyed seeing them live the other night although I'm not huge on their stuff either.

[D_Davis]

Check out the link in the post above yours.

These guys are pretty good, especially if you like Tool and other prog-based metal. (check out the tune Deer Abbey)

Some of my favorites:

Opeth
http://www.myspace.com/opeth

Mastodon
http://www.myspace.com/mastodon

Porcupine Tree (borderline metal/prog-rock)
http://www.myspace.com/porcupinetree

I'm definitely more into the prog-side of metal.

[Qrazy]

Check out the link in the post above yours.

These guys are pretty good, especially if you like Tool and other prog-based metal. (check out the tune Deer Abbey)

Some of my favorites:

Opeth
http://www.myspace.com/opeth

Mastodon
http://www.myspace.com/mastodon

Porcupine Tree (borderline metal/prog-rock)
http://www.myspace.com/porcupinetree

I'm definitely more into the prog-side of metal.

Yeah I know and like Porcupine Tree but I never thought of them as metal, perhaps I just haven't heard their more metal tracks.

[D_Davis]

Yeah I know and like Porcupine Tree but I never thought of them as metal, perhaps I just haven't heard their more metal tracks.

I don't think of them as a metal band, but they definitely have some metal songs, and Steven Wilson is an instrumental part of the new prog-metal scene.

[Sven]

Remember how it was just a few months ago that I was totally digging on Porcupine Tree? Well, since, I've purchased twelve albums and have become very familiar with all of them. I have not been so thrilled to get into a band probably since high school.

And what D said: metal prog elements, their last three albums have been pretty heavy, Wilson's work with Opeth is incredible.

You should check out Deep Purple. They're, like, proto-metal, more rooted in hard blues rock. Right there on the edge. Great introduction. The albums In Rock and Machine Head are invaluable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFV-ENTf-kw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LGtYLpUs4w

[Qrazy]

Check out the link in the post above yours.

These guys are pretty good, especially if you like Tool and other prog-based metal. (check out the tune Deer Abbey)

Some of my favorites:

Opeth
http://www.myspace.com/opeth

Mastodon
http://www.myspace.com/mastodon

Porcupine Tree (borderline metal/prog-rock)
http://www.myspace.com/porcupinetree

I'm definitely more into the prog-side of metal.

Thanks for the recs but don't like 'em. I can't make it more than 2 minutes into any given song though, except Porcupine Tree which is decent, thanks I hadn't heard their newer albums. I'll check one out.

I like metal when that heavy sound is used to punctuate a high point/climax in a song. If it's just a constant layer of noise it grates on me. Also despite all the noise in metal I find it often too slow moving sometimes. I think I'd prefer the more up tempo stuff.

[Qrazy]

Remember how it was just a few months ago that I was totally digging on Porcupine Tree? Well, since, I've purchased twelve albums and have become very familiar with all of them. I have not been so thrilled to get into a band probably since high school.

And what D said: metal prog elements, their last three albums have been pretty heavy, Wilson's work with Opeth is incredible.

You should check out Deep Purple. They're, like, proto-metal, more rooted in hard blues rock. Right there on the edge. Great introduction. The albums In Rock and Machine Head are invaluable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFV-ENTf-kw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LGtYLpUs4w

Well I wouldn't say I exactly like it, but I enjoy this enough to check out an album, thanks.

[Sven]

Hair band metal. Awesome. Listening to Ratt. Goddamn yes!

[D_Davis]

Hair band metal. Awesome. Listening to Ratt. Goddamn yes!

I can't join you in the hair metal band praise. To my ears, it's some of the worst music ever created. I can't even appreciate it ironically.

[dreamdead]

Tomorrow I will be making the 7 and a 1/2 hour drive from Canton, Ohio, back to DeKalb, Illinois for anticipation of the next semester at NIU. During that time I will be breaking in either Porcupine Tree's Deadwing or Fear of a Black Planet, as well as Ulcerate's latest, and perhaps return to a trifecta of Scandinavian black metal with Enslaved, Emperor, and Ulver. Good times are ahead.

[Sven]

Tomorrow I will be making the 7 and a 1/2 hour drive from Canton, Ohio, back to DeKalb, Illinois for anticipation of the next semester at NIU. During that time I will be breaking in either Porcupine Tree's Deadwing or Fear of a Black Planet, as well as Ulcerate's latest, and perhaps return to a trifecta of Scandinavian black metal with Enslaved, Emperor, and Ulver. Good times are ahead.

Oh yes. This sounds incredible. Been digging on Ulver and Emperor lately myself.

Of the two Porcupine Tree's, I recommend Deadwing, as Fear of a Blank Planet (unless you really DO mean Public Enemy, which is awesome too!) is a bit more... hmmm... esoteric? difficult? acquired? I think it's a great album, but it doesn't quite hit you immediately. It's a grower. Deadwing, on the other hand, is one of my new favorites. Listen for the tracks Shallow, Halo, Arriving Somewhere But Not Here, and Open Car.

Lately I've been listening to Ensiferum and Moonsorrow. Nobody does metal better than the Nords, I'm convinced. Makes me proud.

[D_Davis]

Deadwing is incredible.

That is all.

[Sven]

dreamdead, how was the drive?

Writing an essay about the Golem while listening to Finnish metal, Moonsorrow (Raunioilla, sooooo awesome). Feeling pretty okay about the world.

[dreamdead]

dreamdead, how was the drive?


'Twas pretty solid. Nile's "Black Seeds of Vengeance" got a listen for the first time in several months, and it's interesting to hear the Egyptian harmonies and ambiance sound a little more rote after they've kind of hammered that schtick home for the past decade. Nonetheless, there's some solid musicianship on display (especially the drumwork), and little beats the title black for death metal epics...

Gave a recent purchase, Iron Maiden's "Number of the Beast" more attention, which is still my only album of theirs at present. Great for getting into the mindset of how revolutionary '80s NWOBHM became in metal, and just solid from start to finish, with Hallowed be Thy Name being the true standout...

gave PT's "Deadwing" it's first full attention, and the opening track (great keyboard rhythms!) and Somewhere But Not Here are rocking my world, while Lazarus is a tender and sophisticated ballad. This album, to me, renders Fear of a Blank Planet (slip of the tongue earlier :lol:) and In Absentia (my first purchase of theirs) kinda moot, as this one contains all of the elements that best represent their sound but I'll revisit the other two soon...

after being caught up in Enslaved's proggier albums, I returned to their first shift out of a black/Viking mindset, "Mardraum: Beyond the Within." Having had the album for 9 years, I'm still awestruck by the power of Større enn Tid - Tyngre enn Natt, the album's opening track. And if nothing after that song captures the sense of epic wonder, it's slightly understandable...

And Ulcerate's "Everything is Fire" is death metal devoid of any real caricature, with heaviness sustained and only an inkling of harmony wafting in and out intermittently. Challenging stuff, but rewarding in its own right for being a step forward.

[dreamdead]

AVClub's top 30 (http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-decades-best-metal,35509/) metal albums of the decade.

Blut Aus Nord remains one of the scariest bands I've had the fortune to listen to, and I suppose that the Opeth album is a decent marker for that band. Nothing they do will capture the production quality and innovations of My Arms, Your Hearse, but the newest is admirable if not excellent. Having Isis's "Oceanic" on the list kinda makes Pelican rather superfluous, though...

[D_Davis]

\m/ \m/

Fen - Exile's Journey

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5BpEMKGPSQ&feature=player_embedded

[D_Davis]

Recently watched the Porcupine Tree live concert, Arriving Somewhere...

Mind = blown

Great write up/interview with Steven Wilson in a recent issue of Tape Op as well.

New PT album is OK. Not their best, but still pretty dang good.

[dreamdead]

Got the new albums from Fear Factory and Ihsahn on the way. The former is the band that got me into metal back in '95, while the latter is finally getting experimental again and trying to incorporate the saxophone into progressive metal without getting all John Zorn on us.

Sarah and I got to the Between the Buried and Me concert here in Chicago too late and it was sold out, but I'm jiving with The Devin Townsend Project and Scale the Summit's expansiveness and instrumentalism. And of course, I think a revisit of Cynic will be necessary soon.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I saw Fear Factory live once, after the release of Demanufacture. They were impressive.

[Sven]

but I'm jiving with The Devin Townsend Project and Scale the Summit's expansiveness and instrumentalism.

Awesome. I love me some Townsend. Have you heard Ocean Machine? (Isn't that a lot like asking a film buff if s/he's seen Casablanca?) Totally one of the greatest albums ever.

[dreamdead]

I saw Fear Factory live once, after the release of Demanufacture. They were impressive.

I would have loved to see them back then. I've seen 'em twice, but neither show had a setlist as taken with the old stuff as I would have liked. Their new album, happily, sees the band revived and interested in composing worthy material, whereas they haven't sounded motivated in about a decade.


Awesome. I love me some Townsend. Have you heard Ocean Machine? (Isn't that a lot like asking a film buff if s/he's seen Casablanca?) Totally one of the greatest albums ever.

Definitely. "Funeral" through "Things Beyond Things" is just wonderful all the way through. Surprisingly reflective and enjoyable to sing along to, traits that never quite integrated into his Strapping Young Lad albums, despite good intensity and amazing Gene Hoglan drum tracks. I'm impressed with "Ki," which despite the awkward Elvis tribute track, has a quiet introspection to it. Still working my way into appreciating all of "Addicted," though Anneke's vocals are breathtaking.

[Skitch]

I've seen Fear Factory three times. They are incredible. Their last few albums haven't been that great though.

The new Mudvayne album is probably their best since LD-50.

[megladon8]

Listening to a lot of metal recently. 2011 was a freaking EPIC year for the genre.

Over the past 3 months I've bought the following CD's and love every one of them (*'s denote an album from 2011):

Landmine Marathon - "Sovereign Descent"
Skeletonwitch - "Forever Abomination" *
Revocation - "Chaos of Forms" *
The Black Dahlia Murder - "Ritual" *
Machine Head - "Unto the Locust" *
Lamb of God - "Resolution"
Lamb of God - "Sacrament"
Born of Osiris - "The Discovery" *
Unearth - "Darkness in the Light" *


I'm particularly impressed by The Black Dahlia Murder and Born of Osiris.

The former is just insanely technical, brutal melodic death metal. Really impressive musicianship.

The latter is death metal with heavy electronic influences. It goes from face-melting heaviness to almost video-gamey electronic interludes with nary a break.

[D_Davis]

For me this year, it's been all about Leprous and Animals As Leaders.

I probably should have ranked that Leprous album higher on my top 30.

[megladon8]

For me this year, it's been all about Leprous and Animals As Leaders.

I probably should have ranked that Leprous album higher on my top 30.


Haven't heard Leprous yet. Will check it out when I get home tonight.

I strongly suggest checking out Born of Osiris. Very cool, unique mix of metal and electronica.

I was also surprised how prog the new Machine Head and some tracks from the new Lamb of God are.

[megladon8]

Just throwing out a very strong recommendation for the album "Opus Eponymous" by Ghost.

Very cool prog-stoner-metal. Clean vocals. More in the Motorhead vein of metal, than modern death metal.


Also, on another note, I freaking love this track...

Ct0y2QAwqMU