Music The Ultimate Metal thread.

[Grylte]

Recently discovered a band called Shadow of Intent, pretty much listened to them non stop for 2-3 months.
I suck at genres, but death something metal, i'm guessing.

Also recommend Rivers of Nihil, they even use saxophone, and make it sound great

 

[arthurka]

 

[TheRedDevil'sAdvocate]

Speaking of the Cavalera bros, the new Sepultura single was a nice surprise. But then again, most of their outings since the split had 2-3 good songs, so there's that. Still, i think this sounds more old school than anything they've recorded since the mid-'90s.



Today i got my hands on this fine album. The first couple of spins suggest that it's worth the hype.


And as the time for year-end lists approaches, this beauty is my favourite song of 2018:

 

[2 man midfield]

This is fun

 

[Grylte]

Got tickets to Tons of rock for my birthday

 

[The Cat]

I had no idea Faith No More were still playing.

 

[Minkaro]

I have no idea who Spidergawd are, but Jorn Lande is amazing.

 

[girish]

Only released on March 13th, and this has been my album of the year, so far. And one of the best progressive metalcore ever, according to /r/metalcore. I can't really get enough of this album. Been listening to this whole album on repeat.

 

[Patchbeard]

My band have released a new song today, lockdown has worked wonders for spare time for mixing!
https://mountainscapeuk.bandcamp.com/releases

It's instrumental post rock/metal, so maybe not for people who like vocals. Hopefully you won't get bored, but if you do skip to 3:30 and give the riff a go, I really like it (I didn't compose anything except the drums so feel I am allowed to big up the riffs...)

 

[Grylte]

I'm so confused....


But i somehow like it

 

[TheRedDevil'sAdvocate]

Guess who turned 30 today.

Spoiler

God, i'm getting old. I still remember the singles being all over the radio stations and MTV for years. Back at a time when people used to listen to or, at least, appreciate guitar music. And i don't care what people say, this is a freaking classic and along with Painkiller, the main reason i decided to become a metalhead.

 

[12OunceEpilogue]

Guess who's turned 30 today.

Spoiler

God, i'm getting old. I still remember the singles being all over the radio stations and MTV for years. Back at a time when people used to listen to or, at least, appreciate guitar music. And i don't care what people say, this is a freaking classic and along with Painkiller, the main reason i decided to become a metalhead.

I can take or leave Metallica personally but you've got to respect their earlier stuff and their longevity as a band.

 

[Grylte]

Really sweet song, doing it's rounds on the different reaction channels now.
That breakdown, though!

 

[DavelinaJolie]

I have no idea why, but I've been on a Hypocrisy kick lately. There are some pretty stonking tracks in their catalogue, and even Catch-22 isn't as bad as I remembered. It's also surprising (I don't know why) to hear just how good a guitarist Peter Tagtgren is.

 

[DavelinaJolie]

Really sweet song, doing it's rounds on the different reaction channels now.
That breakdown, though!

Welp, that's horrible. Like Cradle of Filth or EbonyLake playing Djent.

 

[Ainu]

I have no idea why, but I've been on a Hypocrisy kick lately. There are some pretty stonking tracks in their catalogue, and even Catch-22 isn't as bad as I remembered. It's also surprising (I don't know why) to hear just how good a guitarist Peter Tagtgren is.

There's a blast from the past for me. I discovered them some time in the early 2000's when I was just getting into more extreme metal, although they had pretty much transitioned into a melodeath band by that point already. First saw them live around the time of The Arrival, which I sort of liked. I later went back to their Penetralia and Osculum Obscenum days and was surprised what a world of difference that was. Some absolute face melting tunes on those records. Not the most inspired music though, it's pretty "standard" death metal for that era. Ultimately it's a band I've not listened to that much since those days.

 

[DavelinaJolie]

There's a blast from the past for me. I discovered them some time in the early 2000's when I was just getting into more extreme metal, although they had pretty much transitioned into a melodeath band by that point already. First saw them live around the time of The Arrival, which I sort of liked. I later went back to their Penetralia and Osculum Obscenum days and was surprised what a world of difference that was. Some absolute face melting tunes on those records. Not the most inspired music though, it's pretty "standard" death metal for that era. Ultimately it's a band I've not listened to that much since those days.

Roughly the same for me late 90's/ early 00's I was getting into all that stuff. Listening back to it now, it's actually better than I remember, though I have to admit there is some fairly throw away material. I think I appreciate the self-titled more now than I used to, which is weird given my gateway drug back then was the Gothenburg scene. Some of the stuff they released around that time even had a bit of a Crematory vibe.

 

[Ainu]

Roughly the same for me late 90's/ early 00's I was getting into all that stuff. Listening back to it now, it's actually better than I remember, though I have to admit there is some fairly throw away material. I think I appreciate the self-titled more now than I used to, which is weird given my gateway drug back then was the Gothenburg scene. Some of the stuff they released around that time even had a bit of a Crematory vibe.

Same for me around that time. At The Gates' Slaughter of the Soul and Dissection two albums (let's just ignore the one that came years later) were pretty much what got me into harder music. I was obsessed by them.

On Hypocrisy again, I still like them even if I don't check them out that much anymore. This one is a personal favourite, just try to sit still while blasting this through your speakers/headphones:

 

[DavelinaJolie]

Same for me around that time. At The Gates' Slaughter of the Soul and Dissection two albums (let's just ignore the one that came years later) were pretty much what got me into harder music. I was obsessed by them.

On Hypocrisy again, I still like them even if I don't check them out that much anymore. This one is a personal favourite, just try to sit still while blasting this through your speakers/headphones:

It's a good one.

Old me would call this heresy, but Spotify really has been a godsend since I subbed last year. Spent some money on a pair of Sennheiser Momentum 3 headphones and I'm about ready to sell all my CDs, Vinyl and Cassettes. That I can just get the entire Hypocrisy discography, stick it in a playlist and press shuffle is something I never would have thought possible. It's a shame some stuff I just can't find on there (surprised to see the aforementioned Crematory is poorly populated), but it's allowed me to take some lovely wanders down memory lane with stuff like The Everdawn, Incantation, Amorphis and catch up with some bands like Kawir and Enslaved.

 

[DavelinaJolie]

After a day yesterday where I couldn't listen to much music for reasons, I'm now up to A Taste of Extreme Divinity by Hypocrisy.

Christ, this may be the best melodic death metal album I've heard in a very long time (not much praise as I've spent several years not really listening to new music). Enjoying the hell out of this.

 

[Oaencha]

Some German metal bands to mix things up.

Rammstein via Manson via Nine Inch Nails

Parasite Inc.

We Butter The Bread With Butter (great name)

 

[DavelinaJolie]

I'm very slowly selling my music collection off via eBay, in the 20 or so CDs I've got listed at the moment is Hollenthon's "With vilest of worms to dwell". On a whim I listened to it this morning for the first time in over 15 years, and was very surprised to hear how well it holds up. Side project of Martin Shirenc (Pungent Stench) it mixes classical music (one of the tracks basically uses Carmina Burana as a core) with some pretty nifty metal.

The album is 20 years old now and sounds a fresh as when it came out. The guitar sound is really slick with a nice heft, the vocals are raspy but not unintelligible, and the songs feel fun. There's odd little hits like surf guitar leads, and folksy moments that at first sound a little incongruous, but I like the feeling they add.

It was in this period of time you had Therion sounding like a tired, cod-operatic trad metal band. I think the same year also saw the release of the only album by Erik Rutan-led Alas, which was pretty vapid. This release, however, just has that vibrancy. Maybe it's a difficult comparison as the others were leaning more into the operatic side of things, but it's a bit of a shame this album was overlooked at the time.

 

[DavelinaJolie]

Talking to myself here, but saw Moonspell and Paradise Lost last night.

I didn't realise until I saw them live, because the music is mostly driven by the bass and drums I guess, but Ricardo Amorin is a very very good guitarist.

 

[girish]

Invent, Animate has become one of my favourite bands.

 

[Grylte]

This thread needs a bump, so i'll start with the new Inflames song, which kicks ass.

 

[Van Piorsing]

Last year was fairly underrated. There were few gems against the odds of notice.

 

[DavelinaJolie]

This thread needs a bump, so i'll start with the new Inflames song, which kicks ass.

Not listened to them since Clayman. Looks like I've not missed anything, to think they were my favourite band in my late teens/early twenties. Christ.

Been digging the new Atrocity album, kind of shallow but some cracking riffs on there.

 

[V.O.]

Not listened to them since Clayman. Looks like I've not missed anything, to think they were my favourite band in my late teens/early twenties. Christ.

Aye, you haven't missed a single thing. They figured out after that that they could just make awful screaming emo shite with yelpy vocals for angsty teens and make a lot more money than they did making actual metal.

Whatever makes them a living and all that, but the band that made Jester Race, Whoracle, Colony and Clayman is long dead unfortunately.

 

[DavelinaJolie]

Aye, you haven't missed a single thing. They figured out after that that they could just make awful screaming emo shite with yelpy vocals for angsty teens and make a lot more money than they did making actual metal.

Whatever makes them a living and all that, but the band that made Jester Race, Whoracle, Colony and Clayman is long dead unfortunately.

fecked up thing is I still have the Come Clarity boxset, but never listened to it.

Should probably sell it, worth a few pennies: https://www.discogs.com/release/645671-In-Flames-Come-Clarity

 

[Ainu]

I haven't listened to In Flames in ages but I have to laugh at that clip a couple of posts up. It starts out as inoffensive but mediocre metalcore and then that refrain hits.

How do you go from this:



to that abomination?

 

[TheRedDevil'sAdvocate]

Come Clarity is probably their best album since Clayman. I don't have any issues with the run of albums from Reroute to CC. They're catchy and melodic despite the New Metal influences. ASoP also has a lot of meat in it but it's horribly produced. Since they kicked Jesper out of the band, they lost all the nuances in their sound that made them special and the quality went downhill. I mean, Battles is latter-Tate-era Queensryche bad. But after listening to the rather timid The Halo Effect album, it's better that they didn't try to write Clayman 2. I love their early material as much as the next metalhead, but, with all the hate they have received for straying far from their core, it feels like these albums are being overrated now more than anything.

Anyway, i am enjoying the new Riverside album. It's so nice to see these guys get back on their feet after the tragedy that hit them. Can't wait for the new Haken album in a couple of months.

Haven't made up my mind about the new Katatonia yet, but, for now, it feels better than City Burials. Avatarium was a pleasant surprise. The more they move away from Edling and form their own identity, the better they sound to my ears.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

I haven't listened to In Flames in ages but I have to laugh at that clip a couple of posts up. It starts out as inoffensive but mediocre metalcore and then that refrain hits.

How do you go from this:



to that abomination?

Accurate. It sounds like the most bang average Killswitch Engage carbon copy, but they really cheese out that chorus. Oof.

 

[Grylte]

What i've heard of this last album sounds better than most of their later albums, so they're going in the right direction at least.

But i guess i forgot the elitism in the metal community, so it was silly of me to think you would like some new stuff that doesn't sound like they did in the 90s.

 

[DavelinaJolie]

O

Haven't made up my mind about the new Katatonia yet, but, for now, it feels better than City Burials. Avatarium was a pleasant surprise. The more they move away from Edling and form their own identity, the better they sound to my ears.

Not listened to Katatonia since... Christ.. Viva Emptiness. Should probably check this out.

Also of note this year I quite enjoyed the Ashen album, good bit of riff-oriented death metal. And also the album from The Privateer was quite fun.

 

[Van Piorsing]

What i've heard of this last album sounds better than most of their later albums, so they're going in the right direction at least.

But i guess i forgot the elitism in the metal community, so it was silly of me to think you would like some new stuff that doesn't sound like they did in the 90s.

Some say Soilwork made transition to catchy mainstream stuff bit better, but still despite all, think Anders Friden is one of the good guys on the scene.

Sentiments...

 

[V.O.]

What i've heard of this last album sounds better than most of their later albums, so they're going in the right direction at least.

But i guess i forgot the elitism in the metal community, so it was silly of me to think you would like some new stuff that doesn't sound like they did in the 90s.

That's not it, though. It's not "everything new is automatically shit".

Bands from that scene like Dark Tranquillity and Soilwork aren't making The Gallery or Chainheart Machine anymore either, they've long since modernised and added keyboards etc, but they're still putting out a lot of solid stuff that's worth a listen even now.

 

[Ainu]

What i've heard of this last album sounds better than most of their later albums, so they're going in the right direction at least.

But i guess i forgot the elitism in the metal community, so it was silly of me to think you would like some new stuff that doesn't sound like they did in the 90s.

Elitism? It just sounds like dreadful music to me.

 

[Van Piorsing]

Elitism? It just sounds like dreadful music to me.

There's definitely something to it too. How I miss that deepness in voice and song structure is beyond me. This is exactly why I'll always have respect for Friden & Stromblad.

 

[TheRedDevil'sAdvocate]

O


Not listened to Katatonia since... Christ.. Viva Emptiness. Should probably check this out.

Also of note this year I quite enjoyed the Ashen album, good bit of riff-oriented death metal. And also the album from The Privateer was quite fun.

I'd suggest giving The Fall of Hearts a try first. That's the go-to album, when it comes to their latest transformation as a band, and, imho, one of the highlights of their entire career. Too many nice influences in it, from some doomy stuff and Paradise Lost to prog metal and Steven Wilson, Depeche Mode and even alt-rock. The last two albums have been written solely by Renkse because Nystrom has apparently lost his inspiration, and it kind of shows... Still a great band, though.

The Ashen, for me, falls into the "good at first, but with little staying power" category. I blame the heavy dose of death and black metal i was raised on as a 90s metalhead, he-he. The Privateer was a cool record, indeed. Very fun, they make good use of the subgenre's tropes, and most of their choices actually serve the songs (they're not being used for the sake of it). The brutal vocals reminded me of Angela Gosow.

Since we're talking about legacy bands from the 90s, Immolation's Acts of God was terrific. Hell, even the last one from Fear Factory managed to find the sweet spot between their narrow range of riffs and electronics this time.

What i've heard of this last album sounds better than most of their later albums, so they're going in the right direction at least.

But i guess i forgot the elitism in the metal community, so it was silly of me to think you would like some new stuff that doesn't sound like they did in the 90s.

Siren Charms and Battles are the equivalent of Michael Bay films: Content that barely passes for music simply because they have musical instruments in them and a guy trying to sing, aimed for an audience of 14-15 year-olds.

I will agree that Reroute, Soundtrack and Come Clarity don't deserve the stick they get. I can understand why this is happening, but IF have always been the most "accessible" among the bands that began their careers in the early 90s. Even when they were still playing 100% metal. They always had that in their sound.

The other post-Clayman albums are run-of-the-mill records. It's not elitism to suggest that bands like Dark Tranquillity have matured way better than them. And since someone mentioned Soilwork, Overgivenheten, with its super mellow sound, the folk and acoustic elements and keys, is a far more honest nod to the sound IF helped create back in the day without hiding its intention to be commercial and radio friendly. You don't have to sound like Skillet to be able to tour in the US.

 

[2 man midfield]

I’m not 100% into the new Katatonia record either, and I didn’t like city burials. Seeing them live next week so hopefully the set list isn’t leaning too heavily on the new shit.