Blind Guardian

[Guest Hogan Made Wrestling]

My brother downloaded some mp3s by this rock/metal band called Blind Guardian, and it's quickly turning into one of my guilty pleasures. Basically, they play Iron-Maidenish sounding heavy metal (at least that's what it sounds like to me) but all the songs and themes are fantasy based: they have LOTR songs, Dragonlance, and other D&D sounding stuff. The songs are simple but catchy and if you like fantasy-geek stuff then they are fun to listen to. It would be the perfect music to run in the background of an AD&D campaign or something.

[Guest Dace59]

Blind Guardian are a power metal band.

Power metal is a form of metal massively influenced by Iron Maiden (whihc is why they sound so much like them)

Power metal has loads of fantasy lyrics, harmonics, a sound on it's gituars you dont find anywhere else.

Power metal bands can use keyboards, any sort of harmonic type instruments, symphonic elements etc.

 

Blind Guardian's best song IMO from what little I have by them is: Time What Is Time ...Possibly the greatest power metal song ever, but I doubt.

 

Other bands are: Nightwish, Symphony X, Nocturnal Rites, Rhapsody, Hammerfall, Manowar, Stratovarius.

 

Some of Blind Guardian stuff is more thrash based power (ala Time What Is Time) if you like that then check out Iced Earth too.

[Guest The Metal Maniac]

I've been into Guardian for a while now, and Iced Earth as well. As far as I'm concerned, Guardian is AWESOME. Some tracks on "A Night at the Opera", are mind-blowing.

 

But don't pigeon-hole all power-metal bands into a pure fantasy lyrics bit. Not all of them are like that - Iced Earth isn't really, nor is Maiden but Guardian does it in overload, so much so that they actually have an album called "Nightfall in Middle Earth" based around one of Tolkien's works (I wanna say LOTR, but I dunno if that's right).

 

But the lyrics aren't really what matters, so long as they aren't retarted - I'm not really into fantasy stuff a whole lot, but I still enjoy Guardian.

 

Forgot to mention as well - If you like Guardian and Iced Earth, check out Demons and Wizards - a joint project of some members of the two bands.

 

Bottom line - Power metal is good.

[Guest redbaron51]

heh...

 

Demons and Wizards brings the best of both Iced Earth and Blind Guardian

[Guest Dace59]

Iron Maiden is not power metal. They are pure Heavy/Classic metal.

They just made the genre, doesnt make them a part of it.

 

BTW, if you look for Demons and Wizards on Kazaa you will find a commonly miss labled track Excalibur.

This is NOT a D&W song, it is by the band Grave Digger, full time 4:43, cool song, but for some reason a common mistake.

[Guest The Metal Maniac]

I think if you really wanted to, you could make the argument that Maiden does fit into Power metal - but that's neither here nor there. I merely used them as an example of bands with the same type of sound, that don't have the same type of lyrics.

 

And I wondered about Excalibur. That sounds nothing like Hansi.

[Guest Dace59]

Maiden have fantasy lyrics, just not in all thre songs. Ditto Iced Earth.

 

Yep, Grave Digger is a cool damn, stilly Blacken Power, check them out. Dunno how Excalibur got misslabled as a Demons and Wizards song though.

[Guest CoreyLazarus416]

Maiden would most definitely fall under the Power Metal category, if only for the fact that Venom falls under black metal and Death falls under death metal (when both bands created their respective sub-genres).

 

Classifying metal is a hard thing to do...

[Guest The Metal Maniac]

Like I said Dace, they're not pure fantasy...I never said they didn't use any fantasy though.

 

Though off the top of my head, I can't really think of them doing any of the D&D style stuff that Guardian is so fond of...I'm kinda burnt out though, so I could be wrong.

[Guest Dace59]

Just as long as you dont think of nu metal as metal, you can also be a bit right with what metal you class stuff as.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

They suck.

[Guest Dace59]

AoB, as someone that seems to know a lot about music, you're ment to prove that they suck. And it's ment to be easy for you.

Do your job right.

 

Damn, I just cant make that as funny as it should be.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Eh, just my opinion of course, but I just like to keep my D&D and my metal separate.

 

The guitar work is good, but I hate galloping beats, and the vocals irritate the shit out of me.

[Guest Dace59]

I know it's just you're opion, I was kidding.

I can see you know a hell of a lot about music. And the technical side of it (which I know nothing about)

 

I was wondering if someone was going to have a serious go at you about it, when it is of course in your opion.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Heh, if they want to convince me that songs about the wizard on the hill make for meaningful songwriting, by all means. I hate pretty much all power metal, and all its derivatives though, pretty much based on the incessant gallopy beats and high-pitched vocals. Fantasy elements that have no basis in reality are just secondary.

 

I just much rather listen to something that doesn't remind me of a level 26 paladin upon his faithful white charger, speeding o'er the windswept moor.

[Guest Dace59]

LOL, nice images.

You have an opion, reasons for it and knowledge, making it totally valid.

 

Each to their own in taste.

*Goes back to listening to Cryptopsy*

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

*Obligatory Cryptopsy headbutt*

 

<-----

 

Fear the grindcore.

[Guest Dace59]

You mind doing some explaing for me?

I always figured Cryptopsy was Death Metal, due to the vox, the lyrics, and the styles of playing, including solos.

 

While grindcore from what I understand is an extreme form of punk, very hard but very simple, which doesnt include sols.

[Guest CoreyLazarus416]

I think grind is actually a subsidiary of death metal, although I'm not too sure.

 

Maybe it's death metal + hardcore...?

 

Gee, Agent...we really DO like polar opposites of metal, since I LOVE galloping (I base most of my original metal songs on triplets, gallops, and ultra-fast open-E palm-muted picking).

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

I have a feeling that I know what triplets and gallops are, but I don't know that they're *called* triplets and gallops. Care to elaborate?

[Guest Dace59]

I think grind is actually a subsidiary of death metal, although I'm not too sure.

 

Maybe it's death metal + hardcore...?

Nah, Punk goes like this.

 

Punk -> Hardcore Punk -> Hardcore -> Grindcore ..... Then you've got loads of sub stuff over here.

 

Death metal has nothing to do with punk, it was invented in Floirda back the the early 80's.

 

Thrash has something to do with punk, as that's bannered as Heavy Metal crossed with Punk.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

If we're going to wax intellectual on the subject, I'd call Grind "Death meets Hardcore", like Corey said. At least that's my definition. Blasts are a must, with plenty of groove breakdown goodness. As far as no solos, that's iffy. The thing is, they're not really what I'd call a -solo- per se, since the sick wild solo-ish riffs are still part of the song, and not really meant to stand out quite as much. Just listen to these CDs and make your own judgments.

 

Destroy the Opposition-Dying Fetus

Origin-Origin

Inhale/Exhale-Nasum

None So Vile-Cryptopsy.

 

I'd call that some damn good definitive albums for the genre. Of course, there's stuff like Analcunt, but I don't really take them that seriously. Nasum's probably the best example. Their Human 2.0 release is pretty good, too, but Inhale/Exhale is way better.

 

Corey, we DEFINITELY listen to polar opposites of the same general genre, because I fuckin' hate power metal. I'm all about blast and groove on the drums, dischord on the guitar, and really off timing. I'm a pretty shitty guitarist, so I relegate myself to bass, which I'm above average at. I can tap solo on one to some degree though, which is pretty much my trick pony. Nothing wrong with the triplets though, shit just listen to Slayer. Lamb of God has a couple really sick groove breakdowns where they actually use triplets. If the cd had recording quality above "Cousin's basement" I might like it a lot more. Nothing wrong with a gritty sound or anything, but it just sounded amateur.

 

YPOV-the best way to describe triplets and gallopy beats is to give an example.

 

Raining Blood-Slayer, is probably the best example of a triplet you're gonna get. It's basically just three notes tied together.

 

For gallopy beats, pick up absolutely any cd ever made by Iced Earth, Blind Guardian, Helloween, <--(they fucking SUCK ASS) and hit play, then think of a horse, you will instantly realize what we are talking about.

[Guest Dace59]

As far I as I know Crytptopsy and Dying Fetus are prime examples of brutal death.

 

And the first albusm from from Nail Bomb and Naplam Death are prime examples of grind.

 

Meh... dont make too much difference.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Whatever you feel like calling it, it's sick and it's heavy and it's the shit.

[Guest Dace59]

Indeed it is

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

Thanks for the info. But on another note, is that kind of like shredding the same three notes over and over?

 

I too get confused by how to generalize metal, and am often verbally ripped apart if I don't put Slayer into the right sub genre of Metal, along with other bands. Metal elitists suck for the most part, unless they are being elitist about how good the music may be, and not what to call it and how to generalize it.

 

As far as I'm concerned, as long as it's quality, I will listen to it.

[Guest Dace59]

There are FAQs on metal genres somewhere.

Try looking, and reading all the different ones and forming your own views.

Seems to work for most.

[Guest CoreyLazarus416]

Dace trying to school me on thrash metal's beginning...

 

...andybody else find the utter irony in this?

 

Paragon, for a good example of triplets, listen to Slayer's "Raining Blood." The intro (the first fast, heavy, DEFINITELY headbang-inducing part) is nothing but triplets on open-E (although Slayer tunes to Eb).

Gallops? Listen to most power metal, as well as the intro riff to Metallica's "Four Horsemen." To my knowledge, Metallica invented the gallop (although I have been wrong in the past, and it wouldn't surprise me if they didn't).

[Guest redbaron51]

i won't say Metallica Invented the gallop, I think Maiden was probably the first to use it.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

Okay, I'll put down a list of bands, and put what kind of metal I think it is as well. Feel free to school me if you need to:

 

Metallica - Thrash

 

In Flames - Progressive/power

 

Slayer - Speed, death maybe?

 

Cradle of Filth - Death

 

Just four, what would you guys classify others, like Maiden, Soulfly, or Dimmu Borgir?