Topics

1

Anything Goes / The heavy metal topic!

« on: November 25, 2010, 12:34:06 PM »

Made mainly so me and my "green metal bro" Snake33AU won't have to continue our metal discussion in a topic completely unrelated to the genre(s) of music (that "Forum Achievement" topic). Anyone may discuss, recommend, and share anything-metal, naturally! So if you have a love for this fine type of music, tell us about it.

Hey Vyreman, I really liked that second King Diamond song! The double bass pedals and everything, it was nicely done! Ha ha, I know what you mean about the stereotypes of metal. Some people hate labeling metal and simply say "it's all metal! Who cares?" but yeah, I understand the distinct genres out there.

Ha ha, it is funny that the "normal" heavy metal vocals in this case are higher than the power metal ones. It is normally though that power metal have those high vocals. I reckon sometimes certain bands sound a bit cheesy doing it, but most of the time it works, and I much prefer the high vocals and high power chords than those really low and dark ones from death metal. Don't get me wrong though, coz I dun know many death metal bands so i can overly criticize.

Glad you liked Helloween. I only got into them recently, and I thought I had to because they were one of the fathers of power metal. Having said that though, the song that got me into them was more "commercial" and less power metal.

(click to show/hide)

The rhythm guitar plays my three favourite power chords.   lol.
They're so catchy though, and yeah, metal is metal! m/

As for Priest, I agree on Halford's vocal range. You get his "normal" range in songs like Breaking the Law, Hell Bent for Leather, Before the Dawn, You've got another thing coming etc. and then you get higher ranges like in Free Wheel Burning and Screaming for Vengeance (the latter two have guitar solos which I think inspired video game music, like Mega Man X).

I'll be seeing Iron Maiden next year, so I'm looking forward to that.
And Vyreman: rock on my green metal bro!  

That Helloween song is also nice! I really need to start listening to them. Thanks. And wow, you're seeing Iron Maiden? That makes me really jealous! One of few bands I feel I truly NEED to have seen live at least once in my life.



But anyway, it seems like it's high time for me to make an effort to get you into the heavier forms of metal as well! There's so much greatness I don't want you to miss out on. And you can mention a few traditional metal bands to me if you want to. Not as a way of "paying back" (because who says I'm doing you any sort of favor? lol), but just because I want moar moar moar of it. :P

I will spare you technical/brutal death metal, though. I like that myself, but I know one who isn't even into death metal won't. XD


Ah, death metal and it's subgenres... I've gotten past a point where I have a problem with it (and growling, which I now love as long as you can hear the words), and now I mostly dwell on "the other side"; that is, I listen mainly to various "extreme" metal bands. I mean, sure, I liked Cradle of Filth back then (blech!), at least two of their songs, and I liked Children of Bodom's Downfall, but my first and foremost loves in metal were probably Metallica, Nightwish, Iron Maiden and Iced Earth. And then with the internet, I started getting into the heavier forms. In Flames was one of the first melodic death metal bands I heard, and I do believe they changed a lot. I also really enjoyed Slipknot (double blech!) back then, also contributing to the development of my love for the heavier forms of heavy metal. I still like them for that fact, even if I don't enjoy their mu(sic) (cheesy reference out of gratitude) today. Except Vermillion. That song is still excellent.


There are many bands of the death metal kind (or rather, all the various subgenres) that are VERY melodic, and many of them scrap the low growls for raspy screams instead. But of course, those, too, are an acquired taste. I personally had an easier time listening to such bands in the beginning, though. In Flames and the like appealed to me very much, while I couldn't stand listening to one of my current favorites, Scar Symmetry, because of the low growls. Before I get off the subject of Scar Symmetry, though, take a listen to this song by them (one of their calmer ones):

(click to show/hide)

Before the growling kicks in, the song is actually reminiscent of '80s metal ballads, IMO. It's a modern song to be certain, but it has a bit of an old-school feel to it, and I can't help but love the hell out of it. But then again, I love almost all Scar Symmetry songs, even the ones that sound NOTHING like traditional metal. They mix über heaviness with catchiness. I'm still impressed by the fact that the guy growling is the same guy who's singing. Very talented dude. It's not that rare that growlers/screamers can also sing, though, which so nicely proves those who think they scream because they can't sing wrong.

Here's a more traditional death metal song that still manages to be pretty catchy:

(click to show/hide)

I think the drumming in the beginning is my favorite part, though. :P But you know what? I'm just gonna go ahead and post various extreme metal songs for you to hear, maybe saying a word or two about them occasionally. I realize most of these extreme metal bands mixes genres and are therefore not "pure" metal, but that's not an issue at all for me, so I find it irrelevant. So, without further ado...

Symphonic black/death metal:

(click to show/hide)

I love this band incredibly much. Been listening to them since 2008, I think. They compose the symphonic stuff themselves, too! Or well, one of them do.

Melodic power/death/folk metal (specific, huh?):

(click to show/hide)

I don't listen to these guys too much, but they're nice.

Some sort of avent-garde black metal (with cleans), made by only ONE guy(!):

(click to show/hide)

So talented.

Progressive metal (of a non-power kind):

(click to show/hide)

They generally mix death metal with progressive rock. Also has some jazz influences and stuff here and there. I love Opeth. So much variety. Both of these songs are rock-ish for 5 minutes, then turn super-heavy. Kinda hard to call them metal, though, with so many genres mixed. But regardless, they're one of my favorite bands, and well, some of it is undeniably metal. Yessir.

Melodic death metal:

(click to show/hide)

A special aspect about this one, is that the type of cleans they mix in are VERY traditional. So every now and then, this one actually sounds like regular heavy metal!

Another song by the same band:

(click to show/hide)

It's from another album, and it has the growler doing the cleans instead of a seperate dude. Can't classify the style of it, but aside from the production, I find the song to be very beautiful. And sad.

IRON MAIDEN BREEEAAAAAK!

Let's continue then, shall we?




(Jazz-)Fusion metal (yeah, seriously):

(click to show/hide)

Very original band. Never heard anything like this.

Symphonic metal (partly death, but mostly "gurly metal"):

(click to show/hide)

I reckon this is how Within Temptation would sound today, had they chose to focus more on symphonic stuff and KEPT THE GROWLING OF THE FIRST ALBUM!

Moar progressive metal-type stuff (totally different from Opeth though, mind you -- very vague genre):

(click to show/hide)

One of my favorite songs from the band.

Moar melodic death metal:

(click to show/hide)

And some moar:

(click to show/hide)

Progressive death metal:

(click to show/hide)

Kickass drumming, right here!

Meh. This post is already far too long, and I really think I should just have thrown all bands of the same genre into one spoiler tag, but whatever. I'll stop myself here. Putting a huge load on you. @_@

But yeah, rock on as well, my green metal bro. Hopefully I've opened you up to at least ONE other genre. lol


I listen almost exclusively to variants of metal, so much more can be found at my Last.FM profile: http://www.last.fm/user/Metality