Kevin's Watch

I know there are a few metalheads around the Watch, so I thought it was about time there was a topic devoted to this most misunderstood of genres. Discuss what you will. I will open up by recommending a band I've been listening to quite a lot lately, Opeth. They're perhaps the only band (other than A Perfect Circle) who I would put in the same league as Tool in terms of almost composing pieces, rather than simply writing songs. Like Tool, they have progressive elements, but combine them with death/black metal (those two are so interchangeable at times...). I saw them live last year, and it was an intense performance; not a lot of showmanship, but skilled musicians delivering a passionate performance. Anyone else know Opeth? Any recommendations of your own? Who are you into at the moment?

Honest but ignorant question: what exactly is "death metal"? I mean, what's the difference between it and ordinary metal? Also, is there any "death rock"? Heh. I think that would be cool.

As for myself, I don't own any metal, but I'll give any band a try if they've got more to say than "AHHH". The only stuff I listen to that resembles metal is Iggy Pop and the Stooge’s Raw Power and King Crimson's Red.

Haha, there's no such thing as ordinary metal - metal has been split and divided to the point of farce Death metal is characterised by the type of riffs and the unpalatable growling vocals Also, some death metal tends to be about OTT comedy gore (though it's almost impossible to discern the lyrics, and frankly, who cares?) hence the name. As opposed to black metal, which tends towards lyrics about being evil, shrieking rather than growling, and has a fondness for majestic keyboards (though not necessarily). Frankly, I find most death/black lyrics stupid, but I listen for the music, not the awful lyricism.

Edit: I nearly forgot your other question. Death rock...not to my knowledge, no. I've heard of death punk and death emo, but I put that down to the compulsive need to categorise evident in most mediocre rock journalists.

Hmmmm.... Opeth, Tool and Perfect Circle. I wouldn't call them metal.... I'de call perfect cirlce wuss rock... Tool is prog metal and Opeth I dunno. I have to say Tool don't really do it for me. But thats just me.

Anyway... here are some bands:

The Dillinger Escape Plan - The most insane band on the planet and my personal fav. They are coming to australia in about a month and I can;t wait.

Pig Destroyer - Extreme disturbing metal

Blood Has Been Shed - ONe of the most brutal bands you can here

Coalesce - Same league as Dillinger

Lamb of God - Elements of old school but really interesting with wickid vocals

Burnt by the sun - another quality relapse band (relapse are an awesome record label with awesome bands www.relapse.com)

Candiria - Jazz/Hip Hop Metal - There is no band on earth like these dudes

Napalm Death - Grindcore Pioneers

Meshuggah - I dont need to say anything about these guys....

Cephalic Carnage - Relapse band

I could go on but that should be enough for now...

I'm going to have to give Opeth another try, Cov.

In my music folder...
Children of Bodom
Meshuggah
Ensiferum (on your recommendation, Cov)
Therion (like the above, viking metal... good stuff)

Music I own or owned...
Metallica (at what point it stops being metal is debatable, but I've owned every album), Korn (the earlier stuff was good, but it all started sounding the same, and now I just stay away from all nu-metal) Motorhead, Anthrax, Slayer, Biohazard, Stuck Mojo (conservative metal, sounds a lot like Biohazard), and a lot of other stuff that really skirts the boundaries. Some people would consider Tool, Alice in Chains, Dredg, Drain STH, maybe even Failure and A Perfect Circle to be metal, but...

This site gives a fair description of various metal types, though a lot of it is up to interpretation. There's a few types it doesn't mention, either. Melodic hardcore, nu-metal (any blend of rap and metal)... I even heard some swing metal the other day.
This site is, in my experience, the pre-eminent metal site... news, reviews, interviews, etc.

Foul, I'd recommend starting with Tool and maybe Metallica in reverse chronological order if you want to try getting into metal. Knowing your taste in music, it will be a bit of a culture shock if you try to jump right in. It will all sound like "AHHHH" at first. Hell, some of it is all "AHHHH."

I did have Metallica's Black Album during my football jock days, but I lost interest in it afterwards. I think that album rubbed off on me wrong, and I've strayed from metal since. If and when I return to metal, I'd probably go for something more melodic than thrashing. I'm a big fan of anything progressive, so I might go for Tool. Or Perfect Circle. I'll look around.

And yeah, maybe a bit of culture shock. I'll have no problem with the loudness/volume, though. I love loudness. The overall style might bother me at first, but so did Pink Floyd's stuff when I first listened to them.

Don't start with Tool.... You may fall asleep

Jump in head first my man... one word: Dillinger

Thanks for the links, Caer. I'm pretty much clueless when it comes to the different flavors of metal. I loved Soundgarden. Do they count? The media labelled them as "grunge metal." As opposed to, what, the "pure" grunge of Nirvana?

What about Audioslave? It's the so-called supergroup combining Chris Cornell from Soundgarden and the members of Rage Against The Machine. Anybody else here like them?

And what would you classify Marilyn Manson as? Aside from being weird, I mean. I think his Antichrist Superstar album was extraordinary.

Don't know any of the bands extravirgin mentioned except Tool. Then again, I'm not a hardcore metalhead. But great music is great music.

I seriously enjoyed Metallica right up until Load. That album seemed uninspired except for a couple of songs. But their earlier works remain incredible to listen to, especially Ride The Lightning and The Black Album.

Can I mention Judas Priest without getting derisive laughter? Their Screaming For Vengeance album back in '82 was my introduction to heavy metal. It remains a favorite of mine. It's just that when I mention the band to my...younger colleagues, they tend to roll their eyes. It's like, "Oh, those old farts..."

Granted, the Priest is now a shadow of their former glory, but hey, they were there from the beginning of metal. So I give them proper respect. By the way, that metalheads site Caer linked to says: "Many believe Judas Priest to be heavy metal in its purest form." Whatever that means. But interesting...

extravirgin wrote:Opeth, Tool and Perfect Circle

I never said APC were metal, I just mentioned them in passing

Haha, i'm not sure about having Foul start with Dillinger - they made my head explode the first time I listened to them. They're an epileptic fit translated into sound

I don't think I really can say I like heavy metal. That is, I like a few bands that are sometimes labelled as "heavy metal", but generally they seem to be atypical.

I love Motorhead, for instance, but to me they're really more rock'n'roll - or even punk rock.

I also quite like AC/DC, mainly because they're funny.

I usually like Metallica fairly enough when I hear them, but I wouldn't buy any of their albums.

Opeth, Meshuggah, Therion, all swedish bands...cool!:)

Never heard them though. I'm more into classical Hard Rock like Led Zepppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Mountain, Grand Funk Railroad...of modern hard rock I like Monstermagnet(their Superjudge is so cool!), Paradise Lost...

kasten

Don't listen much to heavy metal, but must mention Queensryche.

CovenantJr wrote:They're an epileptic fit translated into sound.

Love this, CovJr.

hmmm the words of a non metal head:

i dont really like "heavy Metal"

thats what my mum calls it...

it's Metal... and in no way does Grunge count in any way shape or form, and that includes soundgarden and audioslave

I could go on about audioslave but I feel I have insulted enough people for now...

Matrixman... If you havn't heard of any bands I mention then it's time you got onto soulseek and downloaded... If you want to hear metal at it's best then those bands are up there.

And foul, dont listen to covanent, jump right in, go nuts, Dillinger are da shizznit

F$#k convenion!

Cam

CovenantJr wrote:Haha, i'm not sure about having Foul start with Dillinger - they made my head explode the first time I listened to them. They're an epileptic fit translated into sound

extravirgin wrote:And foul, dont listen to covanent, jump right in, go nuts, Dillinger are da shizznit

Hmm . . . To epileptic fit or not to epileptic fit: that is that is the question.

[quote="Joy"]Don't listen much to heavy metal, but must mention Queensryche.

God, it's a long time since I heard that name mentioned. Was a member of their fanclub and saw them live on a number of occasions. They were just great. Has anyone heard of Heir Apparent? Something like 'ryche.
I have been trying to get hold of the album by Madison with Shine on it. They are German to the best of my recollection. Anyone have a clue?
I haven't listened to metal for about 10 years (apart from the obligatory Zeppelin and Sabbath), so am not up on any new stuff. I await to be educated, should be interesting.

OOoooooh, I am absolutely desperate to get hold of the album "Dear Mr President" by the band of the same name (latterly called Flesh and Blood). US. It was released around 1988/89. Not sure. If anyone has a copy or knows of someone with and willing to sell, can you let me know? I have tried pretty much every other avenue. Thanks.

Thanks for the Soulseek recommendation, Cam. I used to use audiogalaxy until it was shut down, and since then I haven't bothered. Soulseek is showing promise though

Pleasure man...

Soulseek is the best for music by far...

I've changed my mind Soulseek must die! Of the 12 things I tried to download, only three ever actually started. Grrr. Anyone else have any recommendations?

Hmmm it may be a problem between the chair and the keybaord

The last couple of days I've been listening to the albums I did manage to download from soulseek - Hatebreed, Anthrax and God Forbid.

Hatebreed are hardcore/metalcore. Pretty good, but they're typically whingey for a hardcore band.

Anthrax, long-standing thrash. Again, good. Not a big thrash fan, but I quite like them. I think I downloaded the newest album, so it's middle-aged thrash

My surprise pick of the bunch is God Forbid, a death metal band I read a lukewarm review of recently, who I downloaded just because their name came to mind. Lukewarm review or not, I'm impressed.