Metal Thread II: Son of Metal Thread

[Xray the Enforcer]

It only took us something like 2 years to finish out the last thread -- let's see what we can do with this one. ;)

To carry on a conversation that KoWS and I started in the last thread -- another band that I would consider metal (or even black metal) but who really defies the conventions is Solefald. Each of their albums has a very distinct sound that uses metal as a backdrop and a starting point, but they go to some very weird places with it.

[Tsavong Lah]

Arcturus is another band that started out as pretty solid (progressive) black metal and have really evolved into something else entirely. Not really sure how I'd classify their later work even, but I still enjoy it.

As you said at the end of the last thread, black metal is really fertile ground for experimentation, Negura Bunget being a good example. Nachtmystium's album from last year is another good example of experimentation, a mix of atmospheric black metal and Pink Floyd influences. I've been really enjoying NWoBHM influenced black metal too, like Forefather.

[Tsavong Lah]

Just got some new albums. But I only had time to put them on my iPod right before running, so I just put my "Recently Added" playlist on shuffle so I haven't really listened through all of them yet, so I can only give some snap judgments based on the few songs from each album I've heard. I'll spend time this next week with each album alone to come to full conclusions.

Amorphis' new album, "Skyforger", seems to be pretty darn good. A lot like Silent Waters, only it seems like a bit of the emo vibe I got from that album is now gone. And by "emo" I simply mean that the delivery seemed to be dripping in emotion, kind of like Primordial or Evergrey, but the new album is a little more straight forward vocally. Of course I've only listened to a few of the songs so far, so I could be off.

Primal Fear continues to be one of the most kick-ass heavy metal bands around. "16.6 Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" seems to be yet another masterpiece for a band that already has a shelf full of completely awesome albums. It seems a little heavier than their previous album, but is still true to form.

I also got the new Devin Townsend album, and like everything that mad genius does it will take some digesting to really come to a conclusion on it. I never really got into SYL, and early Devin Townsend didn't do it for me either, but I absolutely loved "Ziltoid the Omniscient". "KI" is a very different album from "Ziltoid", about as different as it could possibly be. Maybe it's only the parts I've heard, but it is a very soft album.

Got the new Sunn O))) album but haven't listened to anything off it yet.

Then I got two albums from bands I hadn't heard before but had heard good things about their latest albums. Azarath's "Praise the Beast" seems to straddle the divide between black and death. And Saros' "Acrid Plains" which is progressive black metal, heavier on the progressive side though. No opinion on these yet either.

[Xray the Enforcer]

I just heard Saros for the first time yesterday and am determined to get my hands on Acrid Plains. It's got a weird vibe, but I was totally captivated. Just...omigodyes.

I go hot-and-cold on Devin Townsend. I love the mad fucker and his mad, mad ways, but sometimes I just need a break from it. So having him do a "soft" album is really quite intriguing. After you have some time with it, could you give us a better run-down on the thing?

[Trasymachos]

I'm not one for genre purity -- I leave that for the 15-year-old Watain fans. Ulver used black metal as a stepping stone -- hell, their first and third albums are black metal -- for further experimentation and exploration, and that's good enough for me.

i agree with this.

about Ulver; their demo Vargnatt is also metal, so it's actually 3 out of their first 4 albums. the sound quality on Vargnatt is really bad, but i liked it a lot some years ago (lost the files so havent listened to it in a long time).

for me metal has been a stepping stone into listening to more experimental music (though i haven't stopped loving the real stuff). the last several months i've listened to Shadows of the sun every evening while falling asleep.

Edit: count me in as a Garm (Christoffer Rygh) fanboy. Also, i strongly recommend the soundtrack by Ulver to the movie "Svidd Neger", for a taste search for "waltz of king karl" on youtube.

[Tsavong Lah]

I just heard Saros for the first time yesterday and am determined to get my hands on Acrid Plains. It's got a weird vibe, but I was totally captivated. Just...omigodyes.

I go hot-and-cold on Devin Townsend. I love the mad fucker and his mad, mad ways, but sometimes I just need a break from it. So having him do a "soft" album is really quite intriguing. After you have some time with it, could you give us a better run-down on the thing?

So I've listened to the Devin Townsend album some more, and it is very, very different from any of his other albums. I saw him live about 5 1/2 years ago when he opened for Symphony X, and I have a hard time reconciling this album with the guy I saw live. It does have an unmistakable Townsend stamp on the sound, but it is presented in such a different way. It is definitely more laid back and he's seemed to take a more minimal approach to song composition. There is also a western vibe permeating the album, really noticeable on tracks like Trainfire and Disruptr. Overall I don't know if I'd recommend spending money on it, but if you have some other way to sample it first you might find it to your liking. I don't dislike it, it is just different enough that I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending it.

[Xray the Enforcer]

Thanks for your thoughts, TL. I will see if I can catch any of that album on Last.FM or myspace or whatever, because it sounds really intriguing -- but then again, it might not be my thing at all. I've had issues with other bands appropriating some of the stylings of "western" music because it can sound so hackneyed. Then again, I loved Tomahawk's Anonymous, which was heavily influenced by native American music. Why more American bands don't explore this mythology (instead of mining the same northern European mythology that everyone else does), I don't know. It's a seriously untapped resource just waiting for the right band to explore it.

[hnv]

Latest Albums and band I have heard reviews:

Mastodon - remission

first album by them and how mastodon of them it was MASSIVE, their soudn is thick nd massive , march of the fire ant is probably the heaviest song I've heard in a while

the dillinger escape plan

couple of years from now young metalhead will put albums like theirs in listen and say, boy that deathcore\mathcore thing was crap. ohh yes it was

new Primal fear

very nice, sounds great produced nicely, worth listening to

[sio]

Yay! My creation lives again!

I've been listening to a bit of Virgin Black. It's an Aussie band, so my expectations weren't too high, but it's good doom. Requiem: Fortissimo is an excellent album.

Head Delain's new album, but found it meh. Similar to Within Temptation's Mother Earth era, but without depth, and lacking Sharon's powerful voice.

[Xray the Enforcer]

Been listening to a lot of Floor Janssen lately. I love her voice.

[Xray the Enforcer]

eMusic renewed again last night, and so I have new music to listen to!

Saros -- Five-Pointed Tongue

I got their first album/EP, because they didn't have Acrid Plains. This is some quality music. I can see where the whole progressive black metal label comes from, although I think they almost defy any label whatsoever. Female vocalists mostly growls the lyrics, but she sings clean vocals on the last track and it is beautiful.

Candlemass -- Candlemass

Oh my. Oh my. Just...yeah. Fantastic album.

[Hamp]

So, I've just started getting into Doom Metal and I'm really enjoying what I'm hearing so far. Can you guys recommend me some bands in this genre? I've been listening to Candlemass and Cathedral all day and now I'm looking for more bands in the same vein as these two.

[Xray the Enforcer]

If you like Candlemass, you'll probably like Solitude Aeturnus (the singer for SA is now singing for Candlemass on the most recent two albums).

Other bands you might like:

Electric Wizard

Saint Vitus

Pentagram

early Amorphis

Swallow the Sun

Cirith Ungol

I mean, there are a lot of doom metal bands out there, but they run the gamut from drone/doom like Sunn O))) and Warhorse (heavy as hell, but really wall-of-soundish) to the more death/doom of Swallow the Sun.

ETA: Oh yes, and welcome to the thread!

[Xray the Enforcer]

I've been listening to a bit of Virgin Black. It's an Aussie band, so my expectations weren't too high, but it's good doom. Requiem: Fortissimo is an excellent album.

Cool. I'll have to see if I can find these guys anywhere. :)

[igoraki]

So, I've just started getting into Doom Metal and I'm really enjoying what I'm hearing so far. Can you guys recommend me some bands in this genre? I've been listening to Candlemass and Cathedral all day and now I'm looking for more bands in the same vein as these two.

Traditional doom like Candlemass

Solitude Aeturnus is really good recommendation

Count Raven,my personal favorite is "High on Infinity" album

Trouble,old school traditional doom-metal with clean vocals

Grand Magus is mix of classic heavy metal and doom,Wolf's Return is their best album,imho

Less known but very good bends

Solstice,epic doom metal, album "New Dark Age" is excellent

Doomsword,also epic traditional doom

Memory Garden,doom with some power metal influences

Veni Domine,mix of melodic heavy metal and doom

Concept Of God,again Robert Lowe on vocals

My favorite bends that plays little-bit-different kind of doom

Acrimony,psychedelic mixed with traditional doom

Acid Bath,sludge doom metal

As for bends like Cathedral,you may check Anathema,early works are heavy death/doom...personally, i dont like that kind of vocals

[The Whiteravyn]

Speaking of Doom, who can recommend me something like Ahab's Call of the Wretched Sea? Anybody know if the new album is out yet?

Awesome band, make it feel as if one were actually underwater. Absolutely crushing sound. Call of the Wretched Sea is the definitive Moby Dick concept album, in my opinion.

.

[Space Bandito]

I got away from Primal Fear. I had their first three albums and then they started to bore me a little. I am not denying their talent. I just wish they would expand a bit. :dunno:

New Amorphis?

[Xray the Enforcer]

A quality sludge/doom metal band that I've been listening more to is Salome. There's only 3 people in the band and yet they make a shit-ton of noise. Intense.

For those who like prog/experimental death metal, I highly recommend Open Eyes Elysia. I can't even really describe it -- maybe if your favorite death metal band went on a date with Behold! The Arctopus. But with a really brutal female lead vocalist. Anyway, I was listening to that this morning and I was impressed.

[Xray the Enforcer]

Oh yeah, forgot to mention: Rorschach is re-forming (all original members) for a tour September 23-27 in Boston, NY, NJ, DC and Philly. Mr. X and I talked about trying to nab tickets when all is finalized.

[haLobEnder]

After years of attempting to get into metal music but failing, I think I've finally found my 'in'.

I've been listening to a lot of Jesu lately and I really enjoy what I hear. I'd like to delve a bit more into the 'doom' genre as a whole but I'm at a loss where to go from here. I've listened to Boris and Sunn O))) -- who I guess sort of constitute as 'doom' -- but neither really does it for me. While I like some Boris stuff, it's usually their more experimental, less metal songs.

I guess what it boils down to is that I like the clean vocals and the drone/shoegazing aspects of Jesu's music. If there was a band that could mix that with a bit of a darker/harder sound I think I'd really dig it.

Any recommendations are appreciated.

ETA: Guess I should look further up the thread :rolleyes:

Still, anything with clean, non-shrilley vocals out there that people could recommend? I don't mind the 'wall of sound' at times but I much prefer it as a gradual build-up.