The metal thread

[malek]

I love melodic metal with cultured vocals, and sophisticated, story-telling lyrics.

My favorite metal bands are Sonata Arctica and Avantasia (if you can call it a band).

Other bands I love to listen are:

Nightwish, Stratovarius, Rhapsody (and other Luca Turilli's projects), Battlelore, Iron Maiden (although I like more Bruce Dickinson's solo albums) and Blackmore's Night (although it is not metal it generates similar atmosphere).

[tidal kraken]

This thread was made with me in mind. I could name-drop for days on end if asked.

<snip>list of awesome bands</snip>

Nightwish

Sonata Arctica,

I never understood the appeal of these two. It seems like they're trying to make a subgenre of metal completely devoid of guitar riffs. The rest of your list is solid though.

I've recently started listening to Therion, and their newest album Gothic Kaballah is the most intelligent musical piece in the genre of metal I've ever heard. It Can be described as symphonic, although it's not gothic metal, so the album title is confusing.

You should get Secret of the Runes next. To me, it's easily their best. It's much more symphonic than Gothic Kaballah, and kicks more ass (though GK is still pretty good.

Oh, almost forgot. Another band I've just discovered (with help from the GameFAQS metal board, great metal board by the way) is Sigh, a Japanese Black Metal band. Although their earlier stuff is pure Black, their newer material can be described Avant-Garde. I started with their newest album, Hangman's Hymn, which was almost perfect.

I'm a Sigh fanboy. Imaginary Sonicscape is brilliant.

Has anyone heard Ice Earth's Overture of the Wicked EP? The new single is decent, but I'm not so sure about the trilogy. The Ripper needs to put more emotion into his vocals. It's also hard to get used to the down tuned guitar, although it makes the bass more distinguishable. The producer seriously needs to put Ripper's voice higher up on the mix on the line "I am your Anti-Christ!" I was so underwhelmed at that part.

Yes, and it's bloody terrible. I want to hit Schaffer for re-recording Barlow's songs with Ripper on vocals.

[Caligula_K]

I haven't heard the new Iced Earth EP yet, but I'd say that Ripper is one of the great metal vocalists of all time and beats out Barlow for me- when I saw them live, he did an amazing rendition of the Something Wicked Trilogy. So I'd say any faults with it lie not with the singer, but with the recording itself and the decisions Schaffer took in re-recording it.

[direwolf]

MASTODON

[Tsavong Lah]

Anyone else listen to Secret Sphere? This is a band I've just recently discovered and have kind of fallen in love with. I'll also add my voice to the "Sigh is awesome" chorus, as they have consistently put out some of the freshest and most unique black metal on the planet.

I like most types of metal, but Gothic gets a little boring at times. I've been listening to a lot of Viking and Pagan stuff recently. Bands I've been listening to include

Ensiferum

Wintersun

Mithotyn

Manegarm

Einherjer

Mdnattsol

Turisas

Moonsorrow

Asmegin

Falkenbach

I listen to a lot of progressive, power, death, black, and thrash metal as well. I'm working on getting more into Doom, but it is hard to find stuff in the middle of rural America.

[Lord Bloodraven]

woot! a metal thread! I lurv metal very muchly, especially classic metal, and some of the newer symphonic stuff. And I love me a powerful lead vocal in metal, real vocals mind you, none of that death growl garbage.

Favorite Metal bands:

Judas Priest (best metal band EVER. and Rob Halford has to have the greatest voice in the history of heavy metal. The Painkiller album is ridiculously heavy and furious, and still gives me goosebumps from Halford's insane vocals)

Dio - Holy Diver = ftw. I love Dio, both the band and the dude. Awesome voice, too

Black Sabbath - either the Ozzy version or the Dio version is good IMO.

Deep Purple - straddles between hard/blues rock and metal, but amazing. Again, vocals...Ian Gillan is a god.

Led Zeppelin - I always hear arguments over Zeppelin being hard rock or metal, even though there was some of both. Influential in both genres, regardless

Iron Maiden - excellent

Wolfmother - a rip-off of some of the early hard rock and metal bands, but a good rip-off nonetheless

Nightwish - the band that actually got me interested in metal. Love the operatic vocals and orchestration combined with the slamming metal guitars and drums.

[Avalost]

I haven't heard the new Iced Earth EP yet, but I'd say that Ripper is one of the great metal vocalists of all time and beats out Barlow for me- when I saw them live, he did an amazing rendition of the Something Wicked Trilogy. So I'd say any faults with it lie not with the singer, but with the recording itself and the decisions Schaffer took in re-recording it.

I saw Iced Earth with both Barlow and Ripper, and I'd say that Barlow was hands down a better singer. He just had so much more force behind his voice.

[Caligula_K]

I saw Iced Earth with both Barlow and Ripper, and I'd say that Barlow was hands down a better singer. He just had so much more force behind his voice.

Hmm... I've never seen Barlow live (though I do find his performance on Alive in Athens to be amazing) so I can't comment on the live comparisons, really, but in the studio, I think Ripper has shown himself to be superiour to Barlow. Barlow's voice on every IE album save Burnt Offerings lacks exactly that force, and resorts to over emoting to compensate. Ripper, throughout his career with Priest and IE, has had inferior material to work with, yet his voice still comes through as the highlight of Jugulator and Glorious Burden.

[Rane]

I saw Iced Earth with both Barlow and Ripper, and I'd say that Barlow was hands down a better singer. He just had so much more force behind his voice.

QFT

I just can't stand Iced Earth with Ripper. Is not that he's a bad singer, just that Barlow was soooo much better. Btw, he's returning to the metal scene with Pyramaze.

[Avalost]

Speaking of metal vocalists, is anyone else of the opinion that Anders Friden's (singer of In Flames) ability has gone down significantly over the years? Cuz I sure as hell think so.

[Bill Idol]

my buddy in UK sent me a copy of Shamaani Duo the other day. it's not metal, but the acoustics and joik is amazing. Jonne Jarvela, the mastermind, went on to found Shaman and Korpiklaani, both 2 of my favorites.

but yeah, metal is the shit. Bathory #1 for me. Finntroll, Amon Amarth, Barathrum, Gorgoroth, Falkenbach, Moonsorrow, Negura Bunget, Deathchain, Stiny Plamenu, Primordial, Venom, Meads of Asphodel, Sabbat, Obituary, Reverend Bizarre, Megadeth, Trollheims Grott, Windir are some of my faves, amongst a shitload of others.

never really got into In Flames, so i can't comment on the singer.

[Space Bandito]

Currently watching A Headbanger's Journey a documentary on metal that I Netflixed from 2005. Pretty good shit. Watching the woman from Arch Enemy scream is a blast or Dio make fun of Kiss.

I also prefer older In Flames, but I thought their last album was good compared to the newer stuff. Especially Take this life.

[Caligula_K]

Speaking of metal vocalists, is anyone else of the opinion that Anders Friden's (singer of In Flames) ability has gone down significantly over the years? Cuz I sure as hell think so.

He was never good- but he was at least passable when he stuck to the death metal growls. As soon as he started experimenting, though... Horrible singer. And yes, In Flames has gotten worse and worse since Colony.. I consider their best albums to be their first two.

[Avalost]

He was never good- but he was at least passable when he stuck to the death metal growls. As soon as he started experimenting, though... Horrible singer. And yes, In Flames has gotten worse and worse since Colony.. I consider their best albums to be their first two.

I'd agree with this. I was a huge fan of Colony (my favourite In Flames release), but after that...they just went downhill. Personally, I'd consider Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth and Mikael Stanne of Dark Tranquillity to be the best death metal vocalists out there.

[Lies And Perfidy]

The Lord Weird Slough Feg is friggin amazing.

[Caligula_K]

I'd agree with this. I was a huge fan of Colony (my favourite In Flames release), but after that...they just went downhill. Personally, I'd consider Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth and Mikael Stanne of Dark Tranquillity to be the best death metal vocalists out there.

I've began enjoying death metal growls less and less recently, but two vocalists that use the death metal growl that I really enjoy are Martin Walkyier of the british thrash band Sabbat and Mille Petrozza of Kreator.

[cosnik]

estradasphere is amazing though they are not conventional metal. they are more of a shmorgasborg (sp?) of genres a melding of styles.

black mages are some good ol jap metal, headed by squenix's composer nobuo uematsu. they remake old ff songs in all their shredding glory. check em both out, worth more than a listen

[Xray the Enforcer]

IW -- you will have to throw down some justification for that Amon Amarth love. Gimme an album to love, because the ones I've heard...man, it was like somebody ran decent metal through the Hot Topic-izer, but forgot to add humor.

[direwolf]

Damn X-Ray, are you serious? I mean, you don't have to love Amon Amarth, but Hot Topic?! They're not THAT bad! I love their viking lyrics, especially With Oden on Our Side. I do understand that they aren't very experimental or groundbreaking talent wise, but they are nice to bang your head to, and they make me want to go on blind killing sprees, which is always good with metal.

Hot-Topic to me are the bullshit Nu-Metal bands, Slipknot, Linkin Park, Korn, all that bullshit, even Deftones, although they have some redeeming qualities. Methinks you are being a little harsh?

Anyway, I'm not primarily a metal fan, nor am I an authority on the genre, so what the fuck do I know?

Basically, the only metal bands I like are:

Metallica (only from Kill 'em All to And Justice...everything after is "Hot-Topicized")

Megadeth

Mastodon

Candiria (If you don't know this band, you should)

Amon Amarth

Opeth (really, only their first album)

Sabbath

[Xray the Enforcer]

Hot-Topic to me are the bullshit Nu-Metal bands, Slipknot, Linkin Park, Korn, all that bullshit, even Deftones, although they have some redeeming qualities. Methinks you are being a little harsh?

Nah, just sarcastic. Amon Amarth aren't bad, of course. But I guess that my particular taste in music (and after a zillion years working underground radio and/or dealing with music pedants, my tastes have turned quite odd) runs towards the "you better do something, anything, interesting. Because just competent ain't gonna cut it anymore." YMMV and all that.