Heavy Metal and subgenre description

[Coffin Surfer 0]

"Heartwork" over "Slaugher of the Soul" at the moment, it just grooves better and the production is incredibly clean, I also like the hissy hag vocals.

 

"..Eclipse" over "Dusk," the atmosphere is somehow more convincing and evil, which is what counts in Black Metal.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

How do we feel about Early Man? I bought Closing In as a random pick up around whenever it came out and just re-visited it. I like them! The formula here is, they take every influential metal band ever, and do what they do, all at the same time. This album has loads of Sabbath, some Priest, Maiden, even some Mercyful Fate, Metallica, a few Slayery thrash moments. Fun as fuck. Milky said something a while ago about how he loves it when a metal band "gets it."

 

These guys do, and they're a two piece. Neat.

 

[Gary Floyd 0]

I've been listening to Dissection's Storm of the Light's Bane and Witchcraft's self titled. That Witchcraft album is great.

[Nighthawk 0]

Backhanded insult on Dissection? Cause I love that album.

 

Good work, re: Early Man.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

I'm beginning to really dig Disillusion.

 

Also: FUCK ACARO. They're a band down the hall from us that we're all friends with (and their singer is ex-Burn In Silence, who were starting to gain popularity before splitting), and they opened for In Flames this past Saturday night.

 

...fuckers...

[Gary Floyd 0]

Backhanded insult on Dissection? Cause I love that album.

Not at all.

[Slayer 0]

Anyone here checked out the new Enslaved? Avant-garde black metal, I think that'd go over well with a fair number of people in this thread

 

Made my top ten list for the year... which I still need to complete and post in the year-end thread, though I still have about three other CDs I need to check out first

[Gary Floyd 0]

Anyone here checked out the new Enslaved? Avant-garde black metal, I think that'd go over well with a fair number of people in this thread

 

Made my top ten list for the year... which I still need to complete and post in the year-end thread, though I still have about three other CDs I need to check out first

Enslaved are awesome. Isa is one of my favorite metal albums of the past 8 years. I haven't heard the new one yet, but if I like it enough, it will make my year end list.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Slayer, Have you heard the new Origin? (that's a funny sentence) I can't remember if you were in that discussion earlier.

[Gary Floyd 0]

The new Cynic is pretty good. Not as great as Focus, but pretty good given the fact that they haven't done a new album in I forgot how long.

 

Agent, have you ever heard Reverend Bizarre? This is some really awesome Doom Metal.

[Slayer 0]

A couple months ago I said this:

 

Origin - Hey, they're from my own state. Neat. Liked it, could have loved more were it not for my major complaint about the production, namely that the drums are way too loud over everything else. I get the drums play a major role in these types of bands, but I want to hear guitar licks and vocals first and foremost, not the 200 BPM BADADADADADADADADADADA DABADADADADADADADADADA.

But, after recently going back and relistening to it, that's not as bad as I thought and would def make my Top 10 of 08

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

The new Origin is pretty good. Not as great as Focus, but pretty good given the fact that they haven't done a new album in I forgot how long.

 

Agent, have you ever heard Reverend Bizarre? This is some really awesome Doom Metal.

 

You're going for Cynic there first, right?

 

No! Though I've read good things. On my to-do list.

 

the drums are way too loud over everything else. I get the drums play a major role in these types of bands, but I want to hear guitar licks and vocals first and foremost, not the 200 BPM BADADADADADADADADADADA DABADADADADADADADADADA.

 

Two Hundred? Pfft. *jerking off motion*

 

That's John God Damn Longstreth, there. He can be as loud as he wants. Love his shit with Dying Fetus, too.

[Slayer 0]

If only that name had any significance to me! I've never been a big drum guy

 

Besides, I said I came around on the album, what more do you want?!

[Super Leather 0]

I just saw this thread, and am going to derail it for a moment in the interest of talking about grindcore since there's not much about it here. Here's a list of essential grind records to check out, as well as some bands that fall under the "proto-grind" distinction for being influential in some way. Some of these records are hard to get, but most of them should be easy to find for downloading purposes. Have at it!

 

I have all of these records, and can vouch for them.

Napalm Death-The Peel Sessions

Fear of God-First EP

Carcass-Reek of Putrefaction (or Symphonies of Sickness, they're both great)

Repulsion-Horrified

Terrorizer-World Downfall

Phobia-Return to Desolation

Assuck-Misery Index

Excruciating Terror-Divided We Fall

Catheter-Preamble to Oblivion

 

Agathocles are also a classic old school grind band, but have released so many records and split 7-inches, that I'll be damned if I can pick one to start with. Unholy Grave are a stellar Japanese grind band with a similar amount of material, but I'd go with any of their live recordings. If you dig Terrorizer, 324 is another Japanese grind band who sound almost identical. I believe Master is the band before Entombed, and their demos have been reissued in the past few years.

 

Proto-grind bands:

Siege-Drop Dead demo

Septic Death-Now That I Have the Attention...

Disorder-Perdition 12-inch

Chaos UK-Short Sharp Shock

Discharge-Never Again

G.I.S.M.-Detestation

Confuse-Indignation demo

S.O.B.-Don't Be Swindle

Larm-Campaign for Musical Destruction split LP

Death Sentence-Ryan...Thanks for the Support EP

Heresy-Never Healed flexi

Extreme Noise Terror-A Holocaust in Your Head

No Comment-Downsided EP

Infest-Slave

Rupture-Righteous Fuck EP

 

[Gary Floyd 0]

Carcass-Reek of Putrefaction (or Symphonies of Sickness, they're both great)

Symphonies is the better of the two.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

You know, I can see the difference between grindcore and (brutal) death metal in the cases of Phobia, early Napalm Death, Brutal Truth, XXX Maniak, and others...but what makes early Carcass and Repulsion grindcore as opposed to death metal? I've never quite gotten that, honestly.

[Super Leather 0]

You know, I can see the difference between grindcore and (brutal) death metal in the cases of Phobia, early Napalm Death, Brutal Truth, XXX Maniak, and others...but what makes early Carcass and Repulsion grindcore as opposed to

death metal? I've never quite gotten that, honestly.

 

The main difference is that grindcore spawned from '80s hardcore (and the punk/metal crossover), and death metal did not. Early grindcore is much more influenced by the HC/proto-grind bands listed above, like Larm and Siege, or

early DRI. Take the jackhammer beats and socio-political commentary from hardcore and grab some tuned-down guitars from metal, and you're on your way to a late '80s grindcore band.

 

Oh, wait, you were asking about specific bands. Shit. Actually, I think both Carcass and Repulsion fit within those confines, despite the fact that Repulsion uses lines like "faggot zombies dressed in drag" in their lyrics.

 

Oh, and thanks for mentioning Brutal Truth, 'cause I'd forgotten about them. It doesn't help that I don't like them very much, but their first album should have been on that list I posted regardless.

[Gary Floyd 0]

Hey Slayer, if you haven't yet, you should give Virgin Black's Requiem a listen.

[Slayer 0]

Sounds interesting, I'll add it to the list

 

Cross reference: I posted my 2008 various metal stuffs list in the Best/Worst of 2008 thread

[Gary Floyd 0]

Cross reference: I posted my 2008 various metal stuffs list in the Best/Worst of 2008 thread

Jesus, that new Judas Priest is terrible. It's not Turbo levels bad, but it's still bad.

[Slayer 0]

Last year on another board, I compiled my "Top Ten Personal Metal Albums of the Decade (so far)" list... and then that board later erased my post, so I had to go back and figure that out again. With only one year left in the decade, this list is fairly well set, unless something mindblowing comes out next year, or I find some amazing hidden gem that I had missed before.

 

1. Paradise Lost - Paradise Lost

2. Amorphis - Silent Waters

3. Therion - Lemuria/Sirius B

4. Circle II Circle - Burden of Truth

5. Opeth - Blackwater Park

6. Nevermore - This Godless Endeavor

7. Dark Tranquility - Damage Done

8. My Dying Bride - The Dreadful Hours

9. Dream Theater - Train of Thought

10. Iron Maiden - Dance of Death

 

Honorable Mention (ie 11-15, sans ordering):

Amon Amarth - With Oden on Our Side

Devin Townsend - Terria

Evergrey - In Search of Truth

Onward - Evermoving

SYL - Alien

[Gary Floyd 0]

I already listed my favorites of the decade so far in my blog:

 

20.) Deathspell Omega-Fas - Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum

19.) Caina-Mourner (This one was tough, because it has so much else going for it-Black Metal, Neo Folk, Shoegaze, Post Rock, and several others)

18.) Weakling-Dead as Dreams

17.) The Angelic Process-Weighing Souls With Sand

16.) Amesoeurs-Ruines Humaines/Blut Aus Nord-The Work Which Transforms God (tie) (This one was tough because I couldn't decide-Amesoeurs has kind of a Black Metal meets Post Punk thing going to them, while Blut Aus Nord are kinda like a Black Metal version of Godflesh-plus, I love that album title)

15.) Nachtmystium-Assasins: Black Meddle Pt. 1

14.) Wolves in the Throne Room-Two Hunters

13.) Origin-Antithesis

12.) Agalloch-Ashes Against the Grain

11.) Mastodon-Blood Mountain

10.) Katatonia-Last Fair Deal Gone Down

9.) Drudkh-Autumn Aurora (This one was tough due to the ties to National Socialist Black Metal band Hate Forest (who are also a shitty band), but damn, these guys impressed me.)/Reverend Bizarre-In the Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend

8.) Nile-In Their Darkened Shrines

7.) Artcturus-The Sham Mirrors (These guys and Emperor are the only symphonic metal bands I like)

6.) Isis-Oceanic/Opeth-Blackwater Park

5.) Sleep-Dopesmoker

4.) Jesu-Jesu

3.) Mastodon-Leviathan

2.) Agalloch-The Mantle

1.) Electric Wizard-Dopethrone

 

Honerable Mention

 

Wolves In The Throne Room-Diadem of 12 Stars

Witchcraft-Witchcraft

Katatonia-The Great Cold Distance

The Gates of Skumber-Conqueror

Negura Bunget-Om

Boris-Heavy Rocks

Primordial-The Gathering Wilderness

Enslaved-Ruun

Electric Wizard-Witchcult Today

Dark Tranquility-Fiction

Isis-Panopticon

Drudkh-Forgotten Legends

 

Yet to listen to-That s/t Paradise Lost album (I heard a few songs, and liked what I heard)

Cult of Luna

[Slayer 0]

Opeth - Blackwater Park

Opeth-Blackwater Park

We have a match!

[Slayer 0]

What're your thoughts on Devin Townsend and SYL?

 

For the most part I don't feel like I excluded anything from my above list, although despite already having Townsend on there twice, I still wanted to work him in a third time for Ziltoid (i.e. Does Humor Belong in Metal?)

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

I need to check out that Ziltoid business. SYL really grew on me.

 

Floyd, you like Leviathan that much? Wow.

 

Mine:

 

1. Electric Wizard-Dopethrone (and competing with Mr. Bungle's California and Neurosis's Souls At Zero as my favorite album ever)

2. Isis-Oceanic/Panopticon

4. Sleep-Dopesmoker

5. Dying Fetus-Destroy The Opposition

6. Cephalic Carnage-Lucid Interval (No love for this one? Album's fuckin' amazing)

7. Agoraphobic Nosebleed-Altered States of America

8. Red Sparowes-At The Soundless Dawn

9. Pelican-The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon The Thaw

10. Mastodon-Blood Mountain

[Gary Floyd 0]

What're your thoughts on Devin Townsend and SYL?

Ziltoid is pretty good, and I like City and Alien.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

Top 10 of the decade thus far, eh? I can't even think of what I got in the last few years that were RELEASED this decade. Most of the shit I've been getting into came out mid-80's/early 90's, which is my favorite period for metal overall. Hmmmm...I'd have to actually go through my CDs and even see what came out this decade. It's a safe bet Gwar, Exodus, Nevermore, and Municipal Waste will be on there, but otherwise I can't even think. Cannibal Corpse, Dying Fetus...yeah, dunno.

[Gary Floyd 0]

I've really been liking Tiamat's Wildhoney and Rotting Christ's Triarchy of the Lost Lovers as of late.

[Slayer 0]

Wildhoney was one of the first gothic doom albums I picked up when I was first getting into the genre

 

"Gaia" still sends chills down my back

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Anyone here checked out the new Enslaved? Avant-garde black metal, I think that'd go over well with a fair number of people in this thread

 

Made my top ten list for the year... which I still need to complete and post in the year-end thread, though I still have about three other CDs I need to check out first

Enslaved are awesome. Isa is one of my favorite metal albums of the past 8 years. I haven't heard the new one yet, but if I like it enough, it will make my year end list.

 

I just listened to the title track to that album, and have "Path to Vanir" on right now. Do these guys pick up the pace? If not, they're fucking terrible.

 

The fuck is this quiet interlude that's going nowhere? Now it's Double kick and a slow snare? Go fuck yourself, Black Metal Machine Head.