Category: Jam Session
Hello all. I’m “Barranca Grande”, and some of you know me as James. I’ve learned how to post different topics to the boards and I saw that with the exception of Bobby’s “Introduction to Metal” board, there’s really not much that talks about “The Metal Genre” on here, so I thought that it’s time to fix that, unless I dump my shit on Bobby’s board and I don’t like to high-jack things, LOL. So here’s my own contribution to the boards about Metal. I’ll be giving my thoughts on Metal Groups, songs in the various genres and subgenres of this music as well as giving release dates of different offerings when I find out about them and I’ll do my very best to track the different groups so that I can quickly find when new material is being released and I’ll put the dates or at least the estimates of when the albums might be released.
I’ll also be talking about my thoughts on different subgenres with respect to the feud that tends to go on between fans of “The Black Metal” genre, as off and on over the years, there’s been debates about what's pure Black Metal and what’s just people selling out. Some people believe that Burzum, Mayhem, Darkthrone and Dodheimsgard are pure Black Metal and that groups such as “Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir and even Emperor are just sell-outs and they believe this almost as uncompromisingly as Ayn Rand believed that government benefits and people accepting them were just people selling out. So I’ll be talking a little about that and my thoughts on it. Oh, and I’m listening to Mayhem’s album “Chimera” as I type this and I’ll even talk about this album in a later post, probably the next post I put up tomorrow.
Should anyone wonder what I won’t cover, at least not in a favorable way, I’ll let you know now. While I’ll cover it, it damn sure won’t be favorable, and that is “National Socialist Metal” and those are bands like Screw Driver from England and Temnozor from Russia. I have little respect for much less no interest in these groups. While some who tend to be under the mistaken belief that Burzum has within the lyrics of their songs racist and hateful messages, that’s not the truth, not remotely or closely, so I’m able to enjoy the music of Burzum, and should the day come that Varg Vikernes decides to use his music as a platform for racist or other hate-based ideologies, then it gets immediately deleted off my music player. That being said, this isn’t the case for groups such as “Screw Driver” or “Temnozor who openly within the lyrics of their music promote and champion nationalism and hate for others who are different or who are perceived to be different. So I guess what I’m saying in this long-winded posting, is that I’m a Metal Head, but with a conscience, LOL. That’s more of a joke than anything; people who listen to Metal aren’t usually motivated by it to hate others, but there are some who have no qualms about listening to Metal Groups that promote hate and non-acceptance of others and so that’s my line in the sand.
So I hope anyone who decides to check out this board will enjoy it. So Piece out and Keep it Metal up in this Bitch!
“I’m following the freezing moon.”
Mayhem
“The Freezing Moon”
National socialist metal? Wow, didn't even know that was a subgenre. Then again, while I really enjoy some metal, I tend towards the more symphonic or at least melodic side of metal. Purists would - and have - say I'm not a true metal fan. I'm alright with that. For me, "black" metal, which I generally associate with growing/screaming vocals is far too hard and monotonous for me. I have the same respect and feelings towards it as I do for rap. Can't stand the sound generally, but can respect the talent it takes to perform it. And I can deal with it if it isn't the focus. Such as the screaming/growling in Epica's music, as aside from that, I like the rest of their stuff . Really, I just like bands that "sing"
For what it's worth, I really enjoy bands such as Nightwish, Within Temptation, Sonata Arctica, Epica, Avantasia, Shadow Gallery (Not sure that one counts), Pain of Salvation) though there again, not sure that really counts, especially these days), Ayreon, and even early Hammerfall, though they were really only a gateway into the genre. There are a bunch I’m forgetting, but there you go.
Hi Remy.
Yeah, I definitely enjoy Epica as well as the others you mentioned. I’m not really in to the whole fight among Metal purists and others. I’ll get more in to this in future postings, but I’ll just say for now that I think that in so far as one likes Black Metal and similar sounding genres, I don’t consider Dimmu Borgir and others to be sell-outs and I like artists and it can be any artist who’s not afraid to mix other genres in to their music. For Dimmu Borgir, it’s symphonic elements in with the Black Metal plus better production. So I think it’s good that they decided to go that route.
So I guess I’m more of a progressive as that goes in the context of the purist-non-purist debate, LOL. Anyway, I really love Nightwish and I’ve been enjoying their album from last year. It’s called “Endless Forms Most Beautiful”. If you haven’t had a chance to check it out, I hope you’re able to sometime. It has the usual performers on it, plus some spoken parts from the Evolutionary Biologist Richard Dawkins. So I was definitely impressed with it, though I can only take Dawkins in small doses. Not saying I dislike the guy and I like listening to him get pissed off once in a while, but at least on this album, he kept things mainly to Science, LOL.
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you’re having a good evening.
James
hey folks. james sent me a message on here last week and I'm now back for the first time in over ten years. I'm still a metalhead as I was then.
James, cool that you mentioned Dodheimsgard. But I don't know if you've heard any of their recent stuff...they are so far from where they started nowadays. It's definitely not a sellout but purist black metal they are certainly not either. I'm not such a fan of Dimmu and the like but I think that the last Dodheimsgard is amazing, and yes, it's super-progressive. But also not easy to get into. So it's challenging music in the extreme, and I like that very much. Another challenging but really cool band that I think is progressive while remaining rather raw and pure is Lugubrum, from Belgium.
Can we post youtube links here?
Hey Jean.
Yeah, if you want to put some links there, you can.
Yeah, I had heard that Dodheimsgard changed a lot over the years.
I have their first album from the 90s and they definitely have the Black Metal sound, so I’ll have to check out the newer stuff at some point.
Anyway, thanks for the reply and I’ll talk to you soon.
James
fKronet til konge! Yeah, I love that album. But they've gone down sf
ome really weird paths since then. I used to talk to one of the guys online years and years ago. They are intense psychedelic travelers if you know what I mean.
here's what DHG sounds like in 2015. Hold on to your mind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjI_0pydBsg
Moving away from black metal related stuff for a bit: My band just played with these guys in Detroit. They are called Black Death Resurrected now, originally just Black Death. Their album under that name came out in 1984. It's raw as hell but really good if you like that kind of 1970s approach, which I do.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drOyuLuUlrk
Hey Jean.
I just listened to both Youtube clips and for the one by Dodheimsgard, wow. They really did change their sound. It’s like how Darkthrone went from cold Black Metal, just to this almost punk type sound a few years ago and if I remember right from the clip I heard, Necterno was actually singing this time. I didn’t dislike it, but it was a change and so it leaves me to wonder where they’re going now, both DHG and DT.
As for the second clip, that’s amazing and really great! I love when I can actually hear the base in a song, I’m not just talking about the base that vibrates a car, but the base guitar itself and I could hear the base lines well in that song. That’s one reason I love Mayhem’s “Chimera” album so much, as Necrobutcher is actually audible for the first time in the history of their career, LOL. Actually, not completely true, Varg was audible on De Mysterias in a few places as well, but the clip I heard from Black Death just now has those good base lines. Now as to whether or not I like high or low base lines, it really doesn’t matter, though my dad when first listening to Metallica never liked when they played base on the high end of the fret board in the beginning, but he liked it better when they changed that in later releases.
Well, that’s all from me for now. I’ll be back later this evening with an actual post as opposed to replies to responses, so keep an eye out for that.
James
James! Glad you liked those clips. If you have the first Dodheimsgard album, I should tell you that they have four albums and an EP between that one and what they're doing now. So the change was actually fairly gradual for them and not so sudden. The second album is basically black/thrash metal with some weird sounds thrown in, then the EP after that they started incorporating more keys and electronics. I am a big fan of the project Vikotnik and one of the other members of DHG had going in the mid 90s. It was called Ved Buens Ende and their one album is some really sublime music. Not exactly black metal but some kind of weird progressive stuff influenced by BM. It's quite fasincating, and yes, there's loud bass in that too!
I like that you noticed the standout bass in Black Death; you're absolutely right! This is actually a facet of older production techniques. On most 1970s (and early 80s) recordings you can really hear the bass guitar. As people concentrated more and more on getting thicker, crunchier guitar distortion, the bass guitar tended to get more and more buried. Some bassists counter that by making their tones super-distorted, but then it just kind of blends in with the guitar too and you can't really always tell what's being played. I'm a real fan of the classic metal sounds, as you can probably tell by now. And so, for instance, I love what Darkthrone is doing nowadays, basically as much as their black metal stuff. In that message I tried to write you today I explained that to me Darkthrone is the best of all the original Norwegian bands. I have all their stuff and have followed them since the Total Death album came out in 96. If pressed I would say that my favourite metal bands are probably Mercyful Fate, manila Road and Darkthrone..so there you go! hahaha
I like your dad's observation on Metallica too, even though I don't think I necessarily agree with him; I actually think Kill em All is great precisely because of the high-end basswork.
Hi james. I have heard Endless Forms ... I think I enjoyed Dark Passion Play more, particularly because you can get purly symphonic renditions of some of their songs which sound pretty fantastic. But I enjoyed Endless also. it's got some pretty great songs. I love that they always have at least one monumental track. Song of myself is currently at war with Ghost Love Score as mo favorite of those. What do you think of the latest trnen by them and others of including a purely instrumental CD along with their major release? Oh yes, and Kamelot; how could I forget them? Another of my favorite bands.
I wish we could edit our posts on this board. I forgot to say that so far I am not really a fan of the Chimera album. That may change someday but I'm really stuck on the Euronymous era Mayhem stuff, although I gotta say A Grand Declaration of War is a very interesting album and certainly very progressive. But you're right about Varg's basslines, actually "Life eternal" on De mysteriis has one of my favourite black metal bass riffs and I've a feeling you know the one I mean!
Did you mean Nocturno Culto was singing on the most recent Darkthrone stuff you heard? He's usually been their singer, with Fenriz doing backup parts, speaking bits and so on. But on the most recent few albums they each sing about half the material. It's pretty cool if you ask me, even though Fenriz isn't exactly the best singer from a technical standpoint. Like he actually tries to sing melodically now and the results are charming but not really to everyone's taste. But he also does snarlier, punkier kind of vocals too, whereas nocturno has the more croaky, black metal style rasp.
Hi Remy.
I definitely love “Dark Passion Play” and that was the first Nightwish album I got and was amazed by it. I also like the turn they’re taking with doing the instrumentals as well. I also like Kamelot and love the new singer as well as the last one.
You mentioned “Song of Myself” and I was amazed by that one as well and it really gave me a lot to think about in addition to the music. Tuomas Holopainen is an amazing musician as well as lyricist, now if I can get someone to describe to me what he looks like, I mean that voice when he speaks in interviews, LOL. Need I say more, LOL. Yes, I’ll admit it, I’m attracted, LOL.
On to what Jean said
Hi Jean.
Yeah, I like the higher base lines in early Metallica, so I agree with you there. Yeah, Grand Declaration of War was good and it was really interesting how they did everything and it was interesting hearing Maniac do not only the growling, but the spoken parts and to hear the disdain in each passage as well as the music itself. I don’t think I need to say much about Hell Hammer, because we know just how well he does, unless there’s people out there who can think of a better Metal drummer. LOL.
Yeah, I definitely know the base line you’re talking about in “Life Eternal and I quickly fell for that. Some say that now Varg is a better base player and they may have truth in what they say, but he seemed to hold his own back in the “De Mysterias” era. I also liked Euronymous as well. I know that there will probably still be other fans who not only like his contributions, but who decided to dismiss Mayhem’s work today, given that he’s dead. All I know, is that I’ve been amazed by the new stuff, but definitely love the Euronymous days.
Okay, now it’s offline for a bit. I’ll post more later.
James
Hey. The bastard formerly known as Harbinger of Metal here. I decided to change my username because even though I still might consider myself a sort of harbinger of metal in reality, I haven't been here in over ten years until today and we already have a Connosseur of Metal in the house. I use this name on a number of boards and such and I've become rather attached to it.
The disdain in Maniac's voice. Yes that's a very good way of putting it. I'm not a great fan of Maniac's vocals but I definitely can understand the appeal, especially when one states it as you did there, James. I really dig Atilla's performances, both in De Mysteriis and the new stuff as well even, but also other projects he's been involved in, like his own band Tormentor. I think he's one of the greatest and most versatile performers in metal. it just occurred to me that Sunn (o) is playing in Toronto tonight and I don't know if Atilla will be there with them. Some friends are going and I was asked but I'm not the biggest drone fan so I said I would pass. But if he's going to be there doing his crazy chantings and stuff, I might change my mind!
I'm a drummer, so you won't hear me denying hellhammer's skill and power. I can't say he's a favourite exactly but that's only because I gravitate toward other styles of playing. As far as the Norwegians go, this might surprise you but I really like Fenriz's drumming. yeah, it's nothing too fancy or fast usually (except he was really technical in Darkthrone's death metal days), but he has this old-school metal/punk sensibility and really knows what to do. he can make it groovy at times, even. I also like Carl-Michael of Ved Buens Ende, Cadaver and a bunch of other bands. I think he has a pretty strong jazz influence and just a really cool way of playing, especially in Ved Buens Ende. Sadly he doesn't play drums anymore, hasn't since he fell (or jumped) from a building and severely injured his legs. he plays guitar in a band called Virus now that is sort of a less metal continuation of the Ved Buens Ende sound. Really good band though. Their new album, "memento Collider", just came out and I am excited to get it.
I'm not really into Nightwish much but I noticed you guys were talking about kamelot as well. I have one of their albums, The Black Halo, and think it's pretty cool. It's not a style of metal I go for very often (I don't just listen to extreme stuff, but I guess I tend to go for heavy/power metal that sounds old and a bit unpolished), but I've been trying to get into some of the more modern power metal acts because of a couple of friends really. I even find myself liking some Rhapsody! All hail the great Christopher Lee! ahahah
I’m sitting here listening to Emperor and I’m still amazed by “Anthems to The Welkin at Dusk”. I love “The Loss and Curse of Reverence”, the vocals just have that raw sound that’s just great!
James
“Loss and Curse of Reverence” reminds me a little of the song “Cry for the Earth Bound” by Ensiferum from “One-Man Army” where he’s totally fucking letting it out towards the finish of the song. That’s what it’s all about!
Yeah, I know it’s random, but I’m just like that right now, LOL.
Keep it Metal,
James
Oh, here’s another interesting thought. I’m smiling as I write this, as I’m trying to picture the reaction of some people in the movement. Ensiferum did a cover of the song “Bambaleo” by “The Gipsy Kings” and I found it on Youtube back in December of this past year. I actually liked it, and it shows that they don’t tend to take themselves seriously all the time, LOL. As to whether or not the vocalist was actually singing both verses and the course in Spanish or not, I couldn’t tell mainly on the verses, but they used clean vocals on the course of it. Then they did the typical Black Metal blast beats towards the end of it. Good, but still smile-inducing given what certain metalers would think. LOL.
One other random thought. I’m sure some of the more militant Metalers will fucking blow an aneurism over this, but there’s also the cover version of the song “Oops I Did It Again” by Britney Spiers that “Children of Bodom” did on a compilation album called “Skeletons in the Closet”. Not sure what to make of that one. LOL. Another smile while typing.
I’m also waiting for “Therion” to come out with new material, as they’ve been waiting to do any for a while since they’re doing their “Flowers of Evil” and another rock performance that’s supposed to last for a long time. I’m happy to say that I have everything in their full-length area of the catalog and they fucking rock. I kind of miss the old line-up of people who worked on “Lemuria” and “Sirius B” they really rocked it on that. The new line-up is good as well, but the older one is my favorite for some reason, maybe it’s kristian Niemann and his amazing guitar playing on it all, as well as the guest vocals of Mats Leven and Piotr Wawrzeniuk, and I’m not ever writing out that last name ever again, LOL. Don’t even ask me how to even pronounce it, LOL. He did an amazing job on the last song on the “Lemuria” album and the other vocalist on the song with the deeper voice sounded like the one from Rammstein, so it continues to be one of my forever favorites.
I’ll see what I can do about posting a Youtube clip of the song I’m talking about as the last one on “Lemuria”.
Okay, here it is for track 10 on "Lemuria". Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-5u1Gcj37U
If it doesn't work in terms of pressing inter on it, then you can copy and paste it in to Google.
Ahoy James et al.
A metal cover of a flamenco-influence song like "Bambaleo" isn't that surprising. it is after all kind of an aggressive style of music and there's some similarity in the guitar styles even. Not saying most metal guys could play flamenco or vice versa but there's definitely a parallel there.
I have a funny story about the Gypsy Kings at my dad's expense. The thing is, he used to listen to them a lot, and the tape/album with 'Bambaleo" on it used to get regular car plays and such. Well my dad is getting on in years a bit, and let's just say he's become rather absent-minded. The only music he seems to listen to regularly these days is tango stuff. He told me last month that he was really excited because he got tickets for him and his date to see Los Lobos. For a while there I was getting them mixed up with a 60s rock band (the one that did "Black is Black"), but then I realised that no, they were that kind of latin themed band from the early 80s. Anyway my dad is going on about this for a while, and then says, "that'll be good, won't it?" adn starts singing "Bambaleo" at the top of his voice. "Uh, dad, you do know that's the Gypsy Kings, right?" Dead silence. To make matters worse this was before I realised I was getting Los Lobos and Los Bravos confused, so I start singing "Black is Black...I want my baby back", and my dad screams in this very wounded tone, "OH WHAT DID I BUY!?!?!?"
I wont' speak of Children of Bodom because I honestly have nothing good to say about them. I mean Alexi did play in Impaled nazarene for a little while and I guess that was ok, but eh....anyway, bands can cover whoever they want of course. It doesn't mean they're not metal or whatever, but doing something because it's ironically cute or just trying to piss people off, to me that's sort of obnoxious. Did they think they could make that song better? I doubt it. They probably were just drunk as fuck, as usual.
Dude, "Loss and Curse of Reverence" is indeed a great song. I'll be honest, I haven't listened to Anthems properly in years. But it was still a very influential album to me at the time and recently I've thought of putting it on again. I do tend to prefer the really early Emperor stuff (you may be noticing a pattern with me here haha) but there are loads of majestic parts on that album that really make you sit up and take notice. That vocal part at the end you mention is certainly one, with that mighty riff underneath...also the instrumental bridge after the weird talking bit, where the synth adopts this big brassy tone and you get this huge fanfare. I like that a lot. That song in particular is probably important to me because other than "Inno a Satana" from "In the Nightside Eclipse" and the really early (and best) version of "I am the Black Wizards", it was probably the first Emperor song I ever listened to. There was an EP that came out before Anthems that was like a teaser for the album, and it included "Loss and Curse" and a couple of exclusive tracks. This was the first new Emperor since they lost Faust, and I believe Samoth served some jail time for setting fire to churches as well, so it was like a triumphant statement that they were back. I didn't have a lot of black metal albums at the time, maybe half a dozen all told (this would have been early 97 maybe), but there was a local campus radio station that would play black and death metal every second sunday, and I would tape that stuff religiously. I probably still have some of those tapes lying around somewhere. College radio in this city is basically dead now, but it was through that in large part that I learned to make my way through the metal underground, and first got introduced to hardcore punk as well, a style I didn't actaully grow to like until many years later, but still....
Oh, I forgot to talk about Therion. They were another early discovery for me, as far as my not-quite-mainstream metal infatuation went. This would have been around the time of the Lepaca Kliffoth album. In fact, i specifically remember going to HmV and paying close to $30 for that silly import. This was their fourth album and was the first that didn't really sound like it owed anything to death metal. I still think it's pretty cool for the most part. I do like some of their more recent symphonic stuff too. Sirius B/Lemuria are indeed largely great. I find that most of their recent albums have a few songs on them that I can really enjoy even though I feel like they aren't consistent, but maybe that's also because I am not as into bombastic, symphonic metal as I used to be. But I've always admired one thing about Therion: they never really lose sight of the metal no matter how many string instruments and choirs they utilise. They obviously come from a strong heavy/power metal background (and of course the main guy, Christofer Jonson or however he spells that, started this as a death metal band) and you can tell that by their frequent use of proud guitar solos, power metal riffs, and covers of songs by bands like Scorpions and Manowar. "Flowers of Evil"..that was the one with all the french chansons on it. Ratehr interesting thing for them to try, i thought. I don't think the album was very well recieved but, honestly, how many other bands would do something like that? lol....I approve of the fact that they just dont' care! I always feel like Therion might just be done after they make an album because Chris seems like a really laid back and even lazy guy about making music. I guess we'll see.
As a kind of counter to the Lemuria song you posted above, here's something from their second album, Beyond Sanctorum, that my buddy/guitarist was playing last night.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfpDfBaOons
I much prefer old analogue production techniques over today's pro tools digital perfection, which makes every band sound the same. With analogue recording it's harder to remove the little flaws. Makes the music more human IMO.
I mostly agree with you Imprecator. I must say though that I don't blame digital technology for the shitty, overdriven, too compressed way a lot of modern recordings sound, but rather the people who use them. Don't knock the tools, basically, because the tools themselves are pretty good. While it'd be nice to record in an analog studio, they're rare as hell nowadays and cost a lot of money. So a computer can be very beneficial if you want to do things DIY. You don't have to employ a lot of the studio trickery that artists and labels often use to cut corners or costs. Mic all your drums. use real amps. For satan's sake don't use drum triggers. A computer an audio interface are just really good recording tools.
But let's keep it old-school. Definitely pre-digital age. Definitely awesome. I present to you all, legend from the Jersey isles in the UK. Imagine Black Sabbath with a folk-inspired singer and a bit of influence from both punk and psychedelia. Totally ace band.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23Ljf8iwTK8
Yeah, triggers certainly suck. Makes the bass drum sound all clicky. That sound ruined a lot of the 90's Florida death metal.
I didn't generally mind that Morisound FLorida sound, but i still know what you mean. I don't think triggers need to sound clicky, but there's this idea taht if your'e playing really fast music, the bass drum needs to punch through and so that click sound makes it less "blurry". I would much rather a recording sound like someone is working hard to play those drums. I definitely want to hear that real kit sound, and am willing to sacrifice some clarity or deal with a snare rattle or other weird noise in order to have it. I want to hear sweat and blood! hahaha
That’s interesting, the last couple of posts I read today. Yeah, I think that sometimes production can cause issues and it can depend on the ways in which it’s being produced among other things.
One thing I noticed mainly on the three Darkthrone albums, and I’m of course referring to “Blaze in the Northern Sky”, “Under a Funeral Moon” and “Transylvanian Hunger”, is the differing sound qualities in each album. While Blaze and Moon have kind of a clearer sound, Hunger is the one that has the sound that you can quickly identify as what people in the movement call low-fi production where the uninitiated can immediately understand what’s meant by that. I love the sound though in all three albums, but I also love the sound in Panzerfaust. Necterno’s vocals are clearer, in that they’re more in the foreground this time as well as clearer which reveals more rawness and power, not to say that there wasn’t rawness and power in his vocals in the three other albums of which I spoke a moment ago. They’re amazing albums and the production in so far as it’s minimalist is great, not to mention that it sticks with the typical formula of that time period for Norwegian Black Metal. So I just figured I’d get that comment out and so I’ll have more later.
James
A Blaze In The Northern Sy and Under A Funeral moon are great, but starting with Transilvanian Hunger they took the lo-fi and minimalism thing too far. I especially like the vocals on Under A Funeral Moon. To me that's what black metal is about, not the screechy keyboardy stuff.
A Blaze...has basically the perfect sound for what it's doing, as far as I'm concerned. THe sogwriting is superb as well. I like that it still has some kind of Autopsy-esque riffs. Just listen to the end of "paragon Belial"!
Transilvanian Hunger is indeed extremely minimal. They couldn't really go more basic than that so every album after sounded quite different. Panzerfaust! Such extreme vocals on that one. I love the guitar tone though, it's got a really clear but still kind of raw tone with some low end to it, which you can really hear on the song "Quintessence" as well as the other Celtic Frost-like pieces on that one ("Triumphant Gleam" and so on).
I'm digging Darkthrone's more heavy metal direction of late quite a bit. Fenriz's singing can be a bit goofy but I can definitely go with it. Apparently they are working on new material now.
Quintessence is definitely my favorite off of Panzerfaust. The vocals are great as well as the guitar work and I liked the drum arrangement on it as well. Also, Reverend pointed out Yesterday that his favorite drummer is actually Fenrez and I like him as well. He does enough to keep things going, but he doesn’t over-power the music with the drums.
James
It's funny to think how technical and complex Fenriz wanted to be when he was younger. If you listen to the first Darkthroen album (Soulside Journey) as well as the Goatlord rehearsal recordings you can hear him doing all kind sof crazy complicated stuff. of course those recordings are in more of a death metal framework so the material maybe demands a more intricate performance.
I have a lot of the other projects/bands he was involved in. The doom metal band Valhall is pretty good if you like Black Sabbath adn the like (and who doesn't?) Slow and trudging for the most part but with a nice atmosphere and kind of spaced out feeling. I think Fenriz plays drums on two of the three albums. There's also Isengard of course but I only recommend that to people really interested in Fenriz's creative musings. he plays everything on there though and wrote all the music so it's a very personal project. Also the Neptune Towers space ambient stuff, which isnt' metal or rock at all but all synthesiser soundscapes in the manner of early 70s Tangerine Dream. The first album is kind of basic but the second, Transmissions from Empire Algol, is a real trip, great for listening while writing, reading, or, well, dreaming...
Fu Manchu reminds me a lot of Sabbath especially the guitar tone. Same with Beaver from The Netherlands. Not sure if withy're still active.
Oh man, Fu Manchu. I haven't heard them in a long time. They were actually one of the first shows I went to see. They were so stoned (or something) taht they could barely tune their instruments. amazing.
There's a huge number of bands that seem to try as hard as they can to sound like Sabbath. It's unoriginal but actaully some of them pull it off really well. And if you can't really get enough of the first few Sabbath albums, where else are you goin to turn? Personally I think the California band Orchid is better at doing Sabbath than Sabbath themselves are these days. There's also of course Sleep with their classic 'Sleep's Holy Mountain" album. I really enjoy SHeavy from newfoundland and iron man from Maryland as well.
Oh, and I haven't heard of Beaver. But I am pretty sure Fu Manchu are still active; seems to me they played a show here fairly recently.
I know that Burzum has done ambient albums and I know one guy who can’t stand those albums and I’ve read other reviews where people like both his Black Metal and his Dark Ambient albums. I thought that “The Ways of Yor” was good, but I tend to put on his Metal albums whenever I’m wanting to listen to his music and I actually played “Det Som Engang Var” a couple of nights ago and still love it. I think my favorite off of it is “Key to the Gate”, and I really love the beginning of it and his hateful vocals at that point, then the rest of his vocals and the guitar riffs in the rest of the song. That being said, I also love the song “War” off of the first album. If you go back and listen, he actually chokes on the beginning of the second verse of the song and I find that rather comical, LOL. It’s still a good song and that was cool that he allowed Euronymous to play guitar on it and then the solo he did at the end.
James
Det Som Engang Var is my favourite Burzum album, no doubt about it. of course I also love the song of the same name from the next album, Burzum at its most ambient while still remaining completely metal, and I'm sure you know what i mean. The beginning of that song is gorgeous and makes me feel like I am floating away through some kind of sunset cavernous realm.
I'm not a fan of Varg's ambient albums, either the prison ones or the recent stuff really, but that isn't a commentary on my feelings about ambient music. I like a lot of ambient stuff, I just prefer Varg doing metal generally, although "Tomhet" is a very chill, relaxing Burzum piece all done on synth that I can really appreciate.
Yeah, I definitely love his Metal stuff and I definitely know what you mean about that song, LOL.
James
Gorgoroth and My Thoughts of Them
While listening to Norwegian Black Metal for the past few years, one group I didn’t think I’d get in to was Gorgoroth, due to their history and the story about the one member of the group supposedly torturing a man in his house. Ignoring all that for the hype that I think some of it is, I decided to check out “Antichrist” and “Pentagram” and I’ve been enjoying them since I bought them a few weeks ago. I especially love the music and the delivery of the vocals on the first song of pentagram. I also enjoy the song “Possessed By Satan” off of Antichrist. The guitars have a wonderful dark quality as well as the vocals having a good and snarling feel to them. It’s wonderful irreverent music and I love it!
I’ve heard a little of some of their recent stuff and thought it was good, and I also liked what I heard off of the “Under the Sign of Hell” album. It had great elements within it as well and I’ll have to pick it up at some point so I can hear it in its complete length.
James
Those first three, maybe four, Gorgoroth albums are mandatory for Norwegian black metal fans. Sadly the following eras, including the last couple of albums, dont' do a lot for me. Actually the music on the last one was good, but the production and drums were really not to my taste, so I had a lot of trouble getting into it. I'm definitely with you on both Pentagram and Antichrist, and I think Under the Sign of Hell is probably the best thing they ever did. Just stay away from the re-recording they did of that album! Totally unnecessary and robs it of all its unfetter fire and fury. Under the Sign...is cool because yes, it's raw and has a very ugly drum sound, but actually contains some cool sort of outside-the-box elements like wintry clean vocals, sound effects and odd melodic chords. The following album, Destroyer, had a bit of that going on as well.
I dont' know what the real deal with the torture alegations was. I guess Gaal was involved somehow. He seems like an interesting personality and of course he came out as gay a number of years ago. I wish I enjoyed his era of the band (starting with Insipit Satan and going on for three or so albums after that) a little more but it's just not doing it for me like the old stuff. However, I know Gaal has a project of his own called Trelldom, which I really liked. A lot of these Norwegian black metal guys play in multiple bands or have solo projects, so it's easy to branch out from the "main" bands to hear the other stuff they were involved in.
My Thoughts on The History of Black Metal
While the stories of the torture allegations, church burnings and the murder of Euronymous are clearly true, what I question is the media’s intent with fanning the flames, oh, bad pun. LOL. Oh well.
There’s the words one says, but then there’s the tone and types of words they use. Some words while hyperbole can be helpful with conveying emotion, but in this context, I believe that these stories are being told for the reason they talk about 15-year-old Billy who goes and kills his parents and when the investigation is done, they find the Black Metal albums in his bedroom and the media always jumps on that shit and the implication is almost always that somehow the kid was influenced to do it, which is always followed with a quickly and nervously stated: “Now we’re not saying that Metal Music makes anyone do anything, but.”. This is scape-goading and nothing more. Yes, the people in these groups who it’s important for people to either remember or keep in mind, were teenaged kids at the time all this happened with the exception of the Gorgoroth torture story, but that’s the main point. These stories are for shock value and nothing more. The media loves to use this and blame this music rather than honestly looking at what the real roots for teen violence really are. Should a 15-year-old kid kill his parents while in the course of enjoying Metal, regardless of Black, Death or whatever other kind, further investigations usually point to him snapping after years of suppressed rage at family members who secretly were abusing him in some way, rather than what music he was listening to. I’ve always made this argument and it was years and years before I ever started listening to any kind of Metal and I stick with my argument even more today, given the “Easy Answer” Culture in which we live here in the states. So those are my true thoughts on all the stories about the personalities behind Black Metal. They weren’t mythological giants the depths of evil of which was beyond comprehension, just teenagers who along-side the music got caught up in events which took on a life of their own. If the media was truly concerned about what these people did as teenaged kids, why don’t they deal with the kids here in this country who are being abused and with every slap, verbal insult and rape, are easily being infused with rage that if not dealt with properly, then could drive them to harm either themselves or others. For all the media’s covering of Faust killing that gay guy in the forests of Norway, they definitely have done a good job of pretending like hardly anything like that happens over here and when they covered the murder of Mathew Shepard, they did a good job at playing up the issue that he went with the guys who would go on to torture and kill him. This is nothing more than victim-blaming of the most disgusting kind.
As someone who’s had my own share of anti-gay taunting in high school, obviously none of which was even close to what Shepard suffered when being killed, I still understand in a way how society in that, they didn’t give a damn about what I went through, and so it is that in the end with a couple of exceptions, they gave not a damn for Shepard as well. Yet, we have to get major news coverage on Faust stabbing to death a man in the forests of Norway and once sent to prison, it’s now the end of anti-gay violence for all. What fucking lies and bullshit. Needless to say, I don’t have any good feelings about what Faust did to that kid and obviously it’s partly because I too am gay, but I don’t allow that to stop me from enjoying the music. That’s like saying that because the author Fyodor Dostoyevsky had insults which he threw at The Jews in some of his notebooks, that we’re going to dismiss all of his work and his contributions to human thought and though he had anti-Semitic views, he still had a great understanding of the human mind and is one of the greatest Psychologists I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading.
So should we cover stories of these natures, then let’s one, put them in their proper social and political contexts and two, let’s make sure we as a society cover and publicize these stories for the right reasons, and not just for sensationalism and spectacle.
James
I like the nod to Dostoyevsky. of course Fyodor was in a way maintaining the status quo line at the time because anti-Semitism was rife among his class of Russians, so even though the statements from his notebooks are often used as fuel for anti-Semite causes (see? Dostoyevsky, a great man, was on our side!) I dont' think they're particularly important or meaningful on the grand scale of things, at least compared with his great body of work.
And of course I'm with you as far as the actions of the Norwegians goes and the media reaction to it. It's that media reaction that however leads people to believe that black metal is a Norwegian phenomenon. Now I don't want to discount the greatness of the Norse bands that formed around Mayhem and Euronymous or changed their sound in order to fit with the black metal aesthetic (as in Darkthrone's case, remember that they used to be a rather progressive death metal band). Indeed, I've talked positively of many of them in this very thread) but it's unfortunate that because their scene was the most sensationalized, people forget that in the late 80s and early 90s black metal was happening in other parts of the world, too. Brazil's Sarcofago's "INRI" came out way back in 1987 and arguably was just as important at codifying the black metal sound and feeling as was early Bathory. Samael over in Switzerland released [I]Worship Him[/I] in 1989. Sabbat in japan had been making raucous occult metal in the style of Venom since 1985, and gradually incorporating more Japanese sounding elements in their music. Grece's Varathron inspired a whole scene with their 'Genesis of Apocryphal Desire" demo, and to this day the helenic BM approach can be traced right back to the sound of that stuff, so they are basically like the Mayhem of Greece. Blasphemy in Canada birthed the "war metal" side of black metal with their grindcore-infused approach. Root was releasing black metal demos in the communist Czech Republic, where they weren't even supposed to mention the word "Satan". Tormentor in Hungary, whose vocalist travelled to Norway to sing on Mayhem's seminal "De Mysteriis dom Sathanas" album. And on it goes. So, really, the history of black metal is wide and far-reaching. it's frought with angst, anger and darkness, and yes, there have been crimes of passion and zeal and not a little foolishness too. But were it not for the media circus, I think we'd be seeing Norway as just one facet of this genre, albeit one with a strong scene that back then experienced a kind of sonic unity. I mean, no bands from South America really sounded like a Scandinavian band until much later, when it became acceptable to imitate them!
it's sort of too bad we can't make actual html links here, but copying and pasting is no problem for most people, so let's try and make a habit of posting youtube links to the bands we are talking about in this thread.
So here's some old varathron, from their "His Majesty at the Swamp" recording. They're soon on a small North American tour for the first time in their long existence and my band is going to play with them in Toronto. Demontage is going to be known forever as The band that Plays with Greek Dudes, since we arranged for Zemial to come here last year and played with them as well. hahah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v8QOhZb1wg
James, have you heard Tuomas Holopainen's side project The Life and Times of Scrooge? It's in the metal genre, but I don't think you can really classify much of it as such. Still, it's a very unique album with some fantastic sound.
Sarcófago were always closer to death metal IMO.
Fair point Imprecator; like most of those bands that started in the 80s Sarcofago blur the border between death, thrash and black metal. Wagner Antichrist definitely considers them black metal though, and so do I, but they're also pretty close to death metal. I think Celtic Frost is a similar case except I lean more toward calling them a death metal band. But some Darkthrone songs sound a lot like Celtic Frost, and so does Obituary. So...yeah, it's blurry.
I so wish I could drive, so I could cruise around blasting Morbid Tales with the windows rolled down.
Sarcofago: "Desecration of Virgin"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4niZjOyoMa8
Celtic Frost: "De-throned em-pe-ror!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U58x3FtAEeI
Ain't youtube great? hah
Hi Remy.
I have his solo album of which you speak and I love it. It’s definitely away from Metal, but it does have a lot of Nightwish-like sounds in it given the instrumentation he has on all the songs. I also like how he got the singer from Sonata Arctica to speak on certain parts and also to sing on a couple of songs as well.
James
Youtube--The Life and Times of Scrooge: a Life Time of Adventure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWwSVOo5K...
James
yes, Tony's guest performance was a nice addition. His voice is either love it or hate it I think. Personally I love it and wish I had even anything approaching his range.
That Tony guy from Sonata Arctica has an odd voice. Sometimes I think it's pretty cool, other times it just seems a bit whiny. Nevertheless I'm one to talk about weird singers, I tend to like singers who don't really have usual voices or sound kind of rough.
I've been talking about this band manilla Road, my favourite metal entity. Today someone I know on facebook posted a judas Priest song and voiced her solidarity with the victims of the Florida shooting, with the ccaption "metal is love". It immediately made me think of this song, where Mark ("The Shark") Shelton sings "Love of life brings us metal!"
It's quite mellow for an anthem about heavy metal, at least the first half. But that's just Manilla Road for you, not really doing what you'd expect, even for a crusty old traditional metal band from Kansas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwnAw01FSwE&index=4&list=PLyfSmoOwbO6vYwbTrWUrqZXJwZDVeFykI
Toni does have a unique voice. It's not for everyone by any means, but if nothing else, he's very talented. People often ask him "how do you sing like that?" and they mean it as a compliment or a critisism.
The best things in the world are not for everyone.
Very true.
To anyone who likes Metal by Dimmu Borgir, I’ve been reading up on them to see what albums they might have in the works. They had a clip posted on some site at one point of a bit of new material they were working on. It’s also been reported that they have been up and down as to when the album might be released with certain times in 2016, but nothing is definite yet. Come on Shagrath, I’m excited to hear you sound like you’ve gargled with razor blades in the form of new material. LOL.
James
If I can find the clip of Dimmu Borgir's new material, I'll post the link to it, but I can't promise anything.
James
Another random thought, if I ever see Marco from Nightwish ever do something by Lady Gaga again, I'll go fucking psycho. LOL.
James
As well as the new inquisition album in a few months, I'm pretty excited about Vader's upcoming album, "The Empire", to be released in September. This is a band tha tI thought peaked in the early 90s with teh "De Profundis" album, although everything they did in the 90s was pretty great really. However, after the album "Litany" it seemed to me like they were coasting a bit and I lost track of the band. THeir last two, though, turned out to be stellar. The band went through some lineup troubles, losing their second guitarist as well as lontime powerhouse drummer Doc (who died tragically of alcohol-related complications), but main man Peter picked up a bunch of new musicians, including an incredible lead guitarist who calls himself Spider. The band released "Welcome to the Morbid Reich" and then "Tibi et Igni", both of which surprised the hell out of me and pretty much knocked me flat. I'm hoping for more great quality from tehse Poles. They are probably the hardest working band in metal today. They literally never seem to stop. They ahve multiple albums full of nothing but covers, release re-recordings of old tracks as well as alternative mixes of older albums, always seem to be touring, and release EPs between their many albums, many of which contain lots of exclusive tracks. I don't know how they do it and remain so utterly solid. "Tibi et Igni" just came out in 2014, but since then they've already released a live album and an album of covers of Polish bands.
Okay, time for some Youtube clips.
Clip of "Back to the Shadows" which is the last Metal song from Burzum before he started doing the Ambient Music he does now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSgyep7E6d8
"Burning Leaves" by Ensiferum off of Unsung Heroes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCtZnwNLoO4
Enjoy
James
I just had to post this link as well. It’s a live version of “Burning Leaves” by Ensiferum. It may not sound as good, in terms of the acoustics, but I figured I’d put it up here anyway. So enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86snuTLwizE
James
Here's a Youtube link to a song called "God to the Godless" by the group Primordial. Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DhGvv6NCEk
James
Cheers James! It's definitely a very arresting song from primordial. The harmony of the guitars, triumphant yet somehow sad riffs, and Alan Avaril's effortless shifting from proud wailing to hateful shrieks, is really something to behold.
This next Youtube link is for a song called "The Coffin Ships" which is also by Primordial.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsnRDcHdf_A
James
Okay, I'm back with a couple of more links. They're from the Danish Folk Metal group Svartsot which is the word for "Black Sickness" which is a symptom of end-stage liver shutdown where the skin turns black due to the advanced amounts of toxicity in the blood.
This is from their 2015 album "Vaeldet". It's called "Midsommer".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhtd7h5w2mM
The next is called "Æthelred" from the album "Mulmets Viser". Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2TADc5OOTs
James
Not a huge metal guy whatsoever. I do love me some Motorhead. This is
my favorite song by them:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H71VEV1c_XE
Marco doing a lady Gaga number? When the balls did "that" happen"
I found it I think in either 2011 or 2012 on Youtube. Rather odd and completely beneath his capabilities, but of course it was a singing competition he was on. It's kind of like how they'll get one of the famous singers here in The States to appear on America's Got Talent or something like that.
James
Alas, my PC has died and I won't be able to listen to songs posted here for a while. I may still be able to post a few youtube links from work on occasion though.
Since we were talking about Dodheimsgard earlier, it's not too random for me to say that the band issued an update recently, and vocalist Aldrahn is, for the second time, out of the band. This is too bad as he has such a unique, distinctive voice. Here's what the band had to say:
"Once again it is time to hit the road. We are currently doing our final preparations for the upcoming European tour "A Shadow over Europa". For the last couple of weeks we have closed the curtain to reality, been living on roadkill, stalking old girlfriends, had weekend trips to hell, lied through our teeth, risen with the dust and descended with the dead. All in all, the preparations has been an incredible success.
I am sad to say though, that our long time vocalist over two separate tenures, the one and only Aldrahn, will not join us on this tour. The distances, the hardships, our, at times, conflicting ambitions and interests has just proven to be to strenuous on our personal relationship. This was a very hard decision for both of us, but was ultimately the only sensible course of action to take. Sometimes things just do not work as well as you hope for, and even though we were holding on for dear life, there was sadly no other possible outcome.
I want to thank Aldrahn for all his efforts in Dødheimsgard, his voice and his presence is intertwined with the very fabric of dhg, and this fact will never change...
I wish him the best of luck with his new endeavour, namely Urarv. Check it out, you will not be disappointed.
Thank you for your time, hope to see you on the road.
Sincerely,
Vic.
Alas, my PC has died and I won't be able to listen to songs posted here for a while. I may still be able to post a few youtube links from work on occasion though.
Since we were talking about Dodheimsgard earlier, it's not too random for me to say that the band issued an update recently, and vocalist Aldrahn is, for the second time, out of the band. This is too bad as he has such a unique, distinctive voice. Here's what the band had to say:
"Once again it is time to hit the road. We are currently doing our final preparations for the upcoming European tour "A Shadow over Europa". For the last couple of weeks we have closed the curtain to reality, been living on roadkill, stalking old girlfriends, had weekend trips to hell, lied through our teeth, risen with the dust and descended with the dead. All in all, the preparations has been an incredible success.
I am sad to say though, that our long time vocalist over two separate tenures, the one and only Aldrahn, will not join us on this tour. The distances, the hardships, our, at times, conflicting ambitions and interests has just proven to be to strenuous on our personal relationship. This was a very hard decision for both of us, but was ultimately the only sensible course of action to take. Sometimes things just do not work as well as you hope for, and even though we were holding on for dear life, there was sadly no other possible outcome.
I want to thank Aldrahn for all his efforts in Dødheimsgard, his voice and his presence is intertwined with the very fabric of dhg, and this fact will never change...
I wish him the best of luck with his new endeavour, namely Urarv. Check it out, you will not be disappointed.
Thank you for your time, hope to see you on the road.
Sincerely,
Vic.
That’s going to be interesting to see who they get as his replacement, and I hope it’s a good one who knows what they’re doing.
James
Okay, now I want to seriously claw my ears off! LOL. I just heard some “Baby Metal” to see what it sounds like and it’s not as bad as I thought, it was worse, much, much worse! I just heard the song “Give Me Chocolate” and I’m not sure who the group was, and damn was it fucking horrible! I’m debating as to whether or not I want to upload the link to the song. If I do, I’ll probably do it in a later post.
James
To be fair James, you're hardly Baby Metal's intended audience either. I haven't heard much of it myself, but while it's ... definitely not my thing, it's for a whole other demographic I think. And there's worse music out there.
Though maybe I'll look some up just so I can back that statement up better.
Hey Remy.
Yeah, it's probably for a different type of people, so I guess to each his own. I just know that most likely, it won't be getting anywear near my S.D. card, LOL.
James
I read an article just yesterday, coincidentally, about how Babymetal and manufactured art like it is basically considered the frontline of Japanese culture these days. SOme people are not too happy about that. I posted this on facebook and some of my friends I think misinterpreted the piece as just another vehement rant about how Babymetal was bad for metal or something, but I really don't think it was about that at all.it's more about Japan in general, the fetishism of "quirkiness" and also the sexualisation of young girls to a somewhat extreme degree. Babymetal are not the most egregious example of this
phenomenon, just the most popular right now, in the west especially.
https://www.kaala.jp/blog/2016/05/06/3-reasons-babymetal-should-make-everyone-uncomfortable/
Yesterday I was listening to Finland's Reverend Bizarre for the first time in a while. Every now and then I put them (and bands like them) aside because I'm not always in the mood for really slow music. But in the right mood, this really, really hits the spot like nothing else. Anyway, Reverend Bizarre are probably the inspiration for my nickname here as I listened to them a lotaround 2005/2006 especially, and I even spontaneously travelled to Rochester (NY) to catch them on their small uS tour around then, because I had a distinct feeling I would not get another chance. Turns out I was right and the band broke up not long after, releasing their most long-winded and self-indulgent album, "So Long, Suckers" as an epitaph. These guys are influenced by classic bands like Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus, Trouble, but also a bit of a modern sound where they embrace a deep, cavernous studio production and don't mind stretching out songs to great lengths with hypnotic repetitions of riffs. To this end I think it's safe to say they have a black metal influence, especially given their choice of cover songs on their EPs. The bass really really stands out with a huge, thick, semi-distorted tone, and the bassist is also the singer, sounding maybe a bit like Jim Morrison if he had become a monk and spent most of his life in a monastery devoted to some dark apocalyptic sect.
The first song I ever heard by them, and still one of my favourites:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A5W-N4ky0Y
It's a long song, but if you turn that up really loud and really feel the monolithic power of it, it will seem to be over before thirteen minutes have passed. The riffs! The atmosphere! The huge sound!
There's a magazine I use to buy years ago called brave words and bloody knuckles. It wasn't for the mag itself as much, rather that each issue came with a cd sampler. I don't know of any that are still around these days and include samplers with each issue.
I believe Terroriser mag occasionally does samplers, and maybe Decibel as well?
I have a few of those BWBK sampler CDs lying around still. Most of the material on there was crap but they each contained some keepers.
I can't help but remember track records here in vancouver from back in the day. That was where metal was so easy to find. One of the times I went shopping there and picked up a good hall on metal, they gave me a new release sampler from earache just for going into the store, and this was in 94 and I still have that sampler to this very day.
I still have allot of the tapes and cd's that I bought on my ventures here to vancouver before I lived here year round, including the powertrap album from disciples of power. The cd version of that record is complete shit, because the mix was fucked up.
Here's an oldy but classic in metal! Testimony of the ancients from pestilence! I have their follow-up to that record, but it was a bit odd to say the least.
Yeah, i've heard taht Disciples of Power and the cD mix is definitely very weird. Can you rip the tape? haha
Big fan of some of the Pestilence albums. I think maleus maleficarum is my favourite. Incredibel thrashy guitarwork, reminds me of Sepultura C. Beneath the Remains only, I think, actually better. Testimony of the Ancients is a little stiff in teh drumming but it is an interesting album, and there are a couple songs on Spheres that I really like. Specifically, the almost jazz ballad-like "personal Energy" is a real favourite of mine and I wouldn't have minded if they had continued in that direction. The stuff since their reunion hasn't been extremely interesting but I don't think it's too bad, and they were a pretty good live band when I caught them in 2010.
I've got the tape ripped of the powertrap record. When I got that tape and the open hostility record from razor, that was how I found out about fringe product, because the open hostility tape came with a little card inside it that you could fill out to have their catalog sent to you so you'd be able to order from it. Now here's another group that was distributed by fringe, slaughter, the group that put out the strappado album! I got the cd of that witch included bonus tracks, and not the reissue. I got this one in 94.
Here's another lost thrash classic, gothic slam! True they weren't around long, but they did give us two classic records, one of witch I still have my tape of, the just a face in the croud album. As long as I'm throwing out classics, sabbat from england is another one that put out some tasty stuff, especially their dreamweaver record in 89. I know there's also a group from japan that has the same name.
If any of you have never heard this, and you're able to find it, zoetrope is another group from the 80's, and their most notable record is their 1985 album amnesty.
I haven't really listened to Zoetrope much, but I remember I got one of their two albums for the guy who produced the last Demontage album. Seemed pretty cool vaguely punky thrash. I like the UK Sabbat but seem to enjoy their "history of a Time to Come" album more than "Dreamweaver", which has a weird production and is a bit overboard with the constant vocals if you ask me.
I'm a big fan of the Japanese Sabbat; I have a lot of their stuff (and they have a big discography, having been around since 1985 and only really seeming to slow down recently)...also I think they're my guitarist's favourite band and a good comparison to our own stuff sometimes. I like how they got more obviously japanese sounding through the 90s, culminating in the "Karisma" and "The Dwelling" albums, the latter of which is just one fifty-something minute long song!
Good morning everyone.
I have new Youtube clips. These are from the album “Immortalized” by the group Disturbed. The album is from 2015. The first one is their cover of the song “The Sound of Silence” and the second clip is of the song “The Vengeful One”. Enjoy.
“The Sound of Silence—Disturbed Cover
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9Dg-g7t2l4
“The Vengeful One”—Disturbed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nW-IPrzM1g
James
I really disliked Disturbed the various times I'd heard them. The derogatory term I started seeing some metalheads use for this kind of music in the late 90s was "mallcore" and a few years later I thought Disturbed to be one of the more egregious examples of the form. Well, I still don't think they're very good, personally, but interestingly, like some other bands (Avenged Sevenfold maybe one), they do seem to be moving in a more metallic direction over time. I suppose this might come naturally with learning to play their instruments a little better and desiring more dynamically interesting stuff in their music.
The cover was pretty interesting. Simon and Garfunkel used to be my favourite thing in the world and they were one of my first concerts too (a rare reunion deal in the early 90s), so I was both apprehensive and a bit stoked about hearing a new cover of "The SOunds of Silence", I still don't think the vocalist is too great but the band gave the song a really doomy, weighty feeling and seemed to increase the level of sadness that the song suggests. THey stayed true to the original melody while adding what I think is some piano in the quiet verses and not really trying to duplicate the vocal harmony. It was a neat take on a classic.
The other song kept me interested for a couple of minutes but was generally just a bit too polished and I did not find it very memorable. I kept waiting for a neat instrumental section or solo or something. Still better than the really old stuff maybe but nothing I'd play again, personally.
I've got a song too.
This is from the last Vader album, "Tibi et Igni". As I mentioned in a previous post, the band has remained quite consistent, but have really reached a high level with their new lineup on the last two albums, one that's probably equal to the amazing death metal they were doing in the early 90s with the "De Profundis" album. it's a little sharper now, a little more melodic, very well produced, but I still think it's great. THey have so much energy, the lead guitar is phenomenal, and somehow they're able to work such an awesome groove into their music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhDXno89CBc
Hi everyone.
Before I heard anything off of “Immortalized”, I didn’t have much use for Disturbed, especially after hearing the song “Down With the Sickness” and that raving rant that he goes on about why mommy has to be such a Bitch. Of course “Down With the Sickness” had the hell played out of it back between 01 and 02 so I definitely would have gotten sick of it quickly enough. All that being said though, I have enjoyed “Immortalized”, but I don’t see myself getting in to them to the extent that I’d buy all the full-length albums in their catalog like I have with Therion and Nightwish, though with Nightwish, I still have to get “Wish Master”, then my collection by them with the exception of a few compilation disks will be complete.
James
Another group I’ve really been enjoying is the group “Amorphis” from Finland. They’ve been around since the early 1990s and they blend Metal and folk elements. In some of their more recent albums, I don’t find many folk elements in the instrumentation, unless you listen carefully to the guitar work which sounds rather Nordic in its own way. This isn’t a put-down, I really enjoy it, but for anyone who thinks of Folk Metal as sounding like “Svartsot” with bag pipes, penny whistles and some of the stringed instruments they sometimes use, then Amorphis hasn’t been exactly that in recent years, but I’d describe them as staying true to their folk influences just by virtue of the fact that they do it by way of their lyrics.
I have four of their albums, one of which is ”The Circle” and it’s definitely enjoyable. One of my favorite songs off of it is called “Narrow Path” and I’m going to post a Youtube link to it below. So everyone enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib8v_ttQ72I
James
Oh, I quite like Amorphis; they were one of the first European metal bands I ever listened to in fact, with their "Elegy" album. Some albums have more folk sounds than others. "Elegy" and "tales from the Thousand Lakes" are from 96 and 94 respectively and the folk elements are quite strong on both. They sometimes lose me on their albums by sounding a bit stiff or something but I have to say that when i saw them live for the second time in 2001 or so on the "Am Universam" tour they put on a really amazing, jammy, relaxed show. Not much heavy stuff that night but I didn't really miss it.
The current members of Amorphis are Esa Holopainen on lead guitar, Tomi Koivusaari on rhythm guitar, Jan Rechberger on drums, Santeri Kallio on keyboards, Niclas Etelävuori on bass and Tomi Joutsen on lead vocals.
James
The first album by Amorphis I got back in 2012 was “Skyforgir” and honestly, it took a few listens for me to really get in to it, though the song “Course of Fait” was my instant favorite. As I got more in to the album as the days and weeks went by, I became enamored with other songs off the album such as “Sampo” and “Silver Bride”. I think that what took a while for me to get in to them as well as that album was that since I had been listening to stuff like “Svartsot” and some of the heavier Folk influenced songs by Nightwish, I was probably expecting more of that, but again, once I listened to “Skyforgir” more and more, I fell in love with it and that moved me to buy the three other albums by them. Just a quick note on Svartsot, though I mention them here along-side Nightwish, they’re from Denmark not Finland.
I definitely enjoy their moments of death vocals and the more raw sound aside from the Folk-oriented side and Tomi Joutsen has the voice for it. An example of this side of Amorphis in my view, can be found in the song “Bad Blood” from the album “Under the Red Cloud” which I’ll post a link to in the next post. I’m sure they’re amazing when seen live.
James
Bad Blood from the album Under the Red Cloud by Amorphis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4sEwiQ7gdc
James
I was looking over the older posts I put up on this board and I realized that I didn’t post any links to the songs about which I was writing, so I’ll fix that now. I mentioned the song “The Loss and Curse of Reverence” by Emperor, “Cry for the Earth-Bound” by Ensiferum, “Life Eternal” by Mayhem and “Quintessence” by Darkthrone. So I’ll post Youtube links to each of them.
James
The Loss and Curse of Reverence by Emperor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtpF_6_Mo6g
James
Cry for the Earth-Bound by Ensiferum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0Ut9ty4oZg
James
Life Eternal by Mayhem
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUrVtR4HrAY
James
Quintessence by Darkthrone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5c3z-3X09M
James
Here’s another Youtube link for a song that I was looking for Yesterday, but couldn’t find. I realized when I listened to it last night on my V.R. Stream, that I got the title wrong when searching for it. It’s off the album Chimera by Mayhem. The song is “Slaughter of Dreams” and it’s one of my favorites off of the album.
Slaughter of Dreams by Mayhem
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9ckYeJZPio
James
There's a Russian Folk Metal group called Butterfly Temple. I've been listening to them for a few months. I have three of their albums and so I'll be posting a clip from Youtube to give you guys an idea of what they sound like. This isn't from any of the three albums I have, but it's from the album called Earth from 2010. The song is called Zemlya.
Band: Butterfly Temple
Song: Zemlya
Album: Earth
Year: 2010
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zPzr0xWZRA
James
Here's another clip from Youtube of Butterfly Temple. This is a song called a Child and a Shaman.
a Child and a Shaman--Butterfly Temple
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ulzz43tE3iQ
James
Butterfly Temple! I'm not always so fond of folk metal, but I used to have one of their albums and there was one song from it I rather enjoyed. I didn't realize they were so prolific; but yeah, it turns out they have a bunch of albums.
The drums still sound a bit like a machine to me. I'll have to listen to those songs you posted at home instead of through this half-broken pair of headphones.
Foke metal is not something I've been able to get into, and deffinitly something that won't get played on the show I sometimes do called raging steel. Now when I say raging steel that's not refering to some european power metal clone, rather a thrash band called deathrow for anyone who's never heard them. I use that title because it's the name of their 1987 record. What I play on this show is nothing but the most in thrash and death metal, none of these songs about defenders of right on their horses with their swords raised high. This is complete brutality at it's finest. If there's enough interest in this show I would consider bringing out of retirement!
I'd listen, Byron. Just don't play too many Kiss songs. :P
Deathrow is great. I like Raging Steel but I'm a big fan of their next album, Deception Ignored. It's *extremely* technical and took me a long time to get into though, but once I got it, it was magic to my ears.
I'll check it out.
I'd definitely be interested.
James
I'm not sure who on here likes much in the way of Power Metal, but I've been really enjoying stuff by Stratovarius. They're from Finland and have been around since the 90s. I have four of their albums with the album Elysium being my favorite.
I really enjoy the songs Infernal Maze and Fairness Justified. I'll post Youtube links for them. I know there's one for Fairness Justified, but I'll have to see about the other one. I'll have them up later.
James
Oh, and this thought just came to me. I've heard about the group Amon Amarth. Does anyone else like them? Also, they have a new album out called Jomsviking which is for this current year. I haven't had a chance to check them out and I don't own any of their stuff, but I'll upload a few clips if I can find them here soon.
James
At Dawn's First Light by Amon Amarth
I think this is from the album Jomsviking from 2016.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6-krHfdmGg
James
I just checked Google, it's from Jomsviking.
James
Infernal Maze by Stratovarius
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=677bKKLlCJo
James
Fairness Justified by Stratovarius
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIgsTBHdrpU
James
I'm thinking raging steel will come out of retirement in the next couple weeks, but like I said it's primarily thrash and death metal that gets played on this show. Some power metal is good if you weed out the clones. I tend to get the power metal bands that have thrash in their sound, like silver fist, eidolon, heathen, manticora, brainstorm and I'm sure there are others.
I have On The Spir of the Moment by Brainstorm. If they're the ones you're talking about.
I'll upload some clips of them tomorrow.
James
I've got two brainstorm records, their ambiguity album, and the follow up metis mortis. Those would get played on raging steel because they have thrash saturation in their sound, but not the endless supply of overblown clones that are out there now.
An example of something that's not raging steel material is the group falconer. Nothing wrong with them at all, but because this show is named after a thrash record they're disqualified. Examples of groups that are raging steel material are groups like testament, gorgasm, exodus, broken hope, suffocation, deicide, supreme pain, deadlystrain, napalm death pre fear emptiness despair, early sepultura up to the arise record and so much more.
Other examples of groups that are raging steel material would be overkill, pestilence, nuclear assault, forbidden, disgorge (us), flotsam and jetsam, gorguts, kreator, morgoth, demolotion hammer and so many more.
Oops, that would be demolition hammer.
I really like much of Falconer's material. Not a band I figured many had heard of. I really like the singer's vocal style. There was one album with a vastly different singer though which didn't sound half as good. As for Stratovarius, I've listened to many of their songs throughout my years. They're very talented, but for some reason they haven't stuck with me the way some other bands have.
Hey everyone.
I was going to do this over the weekend, but have been busy with getting the rest of my dorm room set up and it's now set up and now I'm busy with classes that started Yesterday, but now I have a little time to upload the clips I mentioned by Brainstorm.
James
Brainstorm--The Other Side
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhXTWzgRNzc
Brainstorm--in These Walls
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgjcYEc2qWs
James
I'll be checking out those groups that Rocker posted.
I'll even post clips here soon.
They sound really good, just from their names, LOL.
James
If I do raging steel I would probably do it on ither a saturday or a sunday, because fridays is usually when I do my 80's broadcast. More examples of raging steel material, destruction, obituary, slaughter...the canadian group that put out the strappado record. There's more, groups like origin, fleshless, deeds of flesh, deaden, vile, of course cannibal corpse, severe torture and many more!
There's a new Helstar album coming out very soon. I'm sure Renegade Rocker knows them, and the rest of you should check out their 80s stuff at least. I haven't really enjoyed their albums since reuniting (without one of their original guitarists), but it's definitely a lot thrashier and more modern sounding. "A Distant Thunder" and "nOsferatu" are remarkable examples of some kind of almost neoclassical power/thrash something that manages to do a lot with two guitars and an incredible singer in the form of James Rivera. The new album is supposed to be in a way a return to the "Nosferatu" style.
Here's 'Swiring Madness" from the "Nosferatu" album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNbrAS87m4I
The guitars on this album are so complex and intricate that they can make you feel a bit dizzy. I love it in part for that reason.
heres' "The King is Dead" from 'A Distant Thunder". A slightly more straightforward and melodic album, but no less brilliant in my view:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3-pmTIBrF0
I've been thinking of a day to do the raging steel broadcast. I would probably do it on sundays from two p.m eastern to six p.m eastern on the drunken friends radio network. You can follow me on my twitter that's listed in my profile and also add renegaderocker to skype for more details.
I decided on a better day for raging steel. It will be on thirsdays from eleven a.m pacific time to three p.m pacific time, that's two to six p.m eastern. The direct listen link to paste into your desktop/laptop/Ipad or Iphone to listen will be.
http://dfrn.servebeer.com:8164
And I can vouch for the link working on phones as a deer friend from australia tested it using the tunein ap.
Last week was the first epesode back for raging steel, and it will return for another episode this week on thirsday at eleven a.m pacific time, two p.m eastern on the drunken friends radio network, and the direct listen link to paste iin your players is
http://dfrn.servebeer.com:8164
The metal I play most on raging steel is thrash and death, no symphonic, foke, power, black, doom or other types. After all I named this show after the classic deathrow record raging steel. Now I'm deffinitly will be looking forward to the new testament record brotherhood of the snake! The one track I did hear of it is deffinitly thrash, and it will have a part on raging steel!
Hi everyone.
I figured I'd take a break and come out of my 90 FT tall mound of studying and assignments to check things out for a moment and I found what Rocker posted here. Thanks for posting that link here Rocker and I'll definitely check it out and give my thoughts of what I think on here soon.
James
Hey everyone.
I found a song by the Danish Folk Metal group Svartsot that I don't actually have in my collection of their stuff. It's on Youtube and the song is titled Drekar. Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olASehl5DHk
James
It looks like the start of the new year will have some good releases coming out! For one iced earth have a new record coming out, as well as kreator, and their new record will be called gods of violence. Also overkill have a new one out in the new year as well, and grinding wheel will be the name of that one.
Good morning Everyone.
I checked out one of the groups that Rocker had posted in the above mentioned post. I listened to the song Phantom Antichrist by the group Kreator. It's the second song off of the album of the same name. The album is from 2012. I'm now uploading the song for your enjoyment.
Group: Kreator
Album: Antichrist
Song: Antichrist
Year: 2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojpQ3LCeQTY
James
Here's another clip. This is from Overkill. It's from their 2014 album which is titled White Devil Armory. The song is titled Armorist and is the second song on the album.
Group: Overkill
Album: White Devil Armory
Song: Armorist
Year: 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_c3GBrWsao
James
Here's another clip from a group called Obscura. The song is titled Ocean Gateways. It's the third song on their album titled Omnivium from 2011.
Group: Obscura
Album: Omnivium
Song: Ocean Gateways
Year: 2011
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHgnMHo4Nr4
James
Here's one last clip before I go for the day. This is from the group Neaera. It's from their album titled Forging the Eclipse from 2010. The song is titled Heaven's Descent. It's the second song on the album.
Group: Neaera
Album: Forging the Eclipse
Song: Heaven's Descent
Year: 2010
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF5SGU2A5Kg
James
Exhorder, anyone?
Hey everyone.
It's been a while, but now I'm back. I'm back at school and classes are going well. I'll have some clips to post here soon. I'm thinking of posting some other stuff by some of the groups that are a little more Death Metal oriented, as I've mainly been focusing on Black, Folk and Symphonic Metal. So keep an eye out for them.
I hope everyone's holidays were good.
James
Hey everyone.
I know it's been months since anything from me. Here's a song I found by accident though.
Group: Lust of Decay
Song: When Anesthesia Fails
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhI1nLM0-oA
Enjoy
James
Hey everyone.
Nothing specific, just random right now. LOL.
While reading over my class materials earlier this afternoon, I was listening to Nightwish’s Century Child Album. This is the one on which Marco begins doing Bass and backing-vocal duties. He definitely shines on this one. I really enjoy “Slaying the Dreamer”, “Dead to the World” and “Ocean Soul”. I also love Tarja’s vocals on this and the other albums on which she’s featured! I really enjoy her singing on “Ocean Soul” and this is my favorite song off of the album out of the above-mentioned ones!
James
Century child did have a lot of great tracks. I think my favorite of the albums with Tarja though has to be Once. There's something about Ghost Love Score and Creek Mary's Blood which have stuck with me all these years. I've always been a big fan of their really long epic songs. Never been a fan of Marco's singing. He's got a very ... distinct style which has never clicked with me. There are exceptions, such as on some of the tracks on Immaginarum, which is honestly my favorite of their albums to date. I don't have a problem with the new Post Tarja singers. They've all brought something different to the band's feel. And it's not like Tarja has faded from the world, having her solo career and all. They still remain one of my favorite bands. I like far, far more songs of theirs than I dislike. Tuomas's solo "The Life and Times of Screwge" was also pretty solid in its own rite, though I'm not really sure what genre to classify it in. Still a great album though.
Yeah, they’re definitely good. I understand about what you’re saying regarding Marco. His vocals are ones that some like and some probably don’t get in to too much since preferring other styles of singing.
I also enjoy Ghost Love Score and their other longer songs. Once is definitely a good album and I’m glad to have been able to get it as well as their other ones. I don’t have “Wishmaster” yet, but I’ll be getting that one here soon. I did hear the song “The Kinslayer” that’s off the album. It’s available on Youtube and is probably one of the most disturbing songs they’ve released next to “The Poet and the Pendulum”.
“The Kinslayer” is a memorial song to those who were killed and those who were injured in the Columbine High School Shooting back in 1999. I say that it’s disturbing in that it features spoken-word vocals from Ike Vil of the Death Rock Band “Babylon Whores” which sounded like a person coming closer and closer to having a psychotic break. Opposite him was Tarja answering him back. It was still a really good song from them and really valuable in that they took the time to show that what happened on that horrible day and those injured and those killed would be remembered.
James
Hey everyone.
Here's a link to the song "The Kinslayer" By Nightwish.
Enjoy
James
Group: Nightwish
Album: Wishmaster
Song: "The Kinslayer"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp8ZTF20py4
Hey everyone.
I have another Youtube Link. It’s a link for a song titled “The Escapist” and it’s off the album “The Sounds of Nightwish Reborn”. The album contains B sides and demo versions of some of their songs from their album “Dark Passion Play”.
Enjoy
James
Album: The Sounds of Nightwish Reborn
Group: Nightwish
Song: “The Escapist”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z_vEuA3IK8
Okay, I have something new. I had heard of these guys first when I was 13, but as I wasn’t listening to Metal back then, I didn’t really pay too much attention to them. The most I listened to in terms of Metal back when I was that age was stuff like Queensryche and even then I was a casual listener to their stuff. The group about whom I’m speaking currently is the Metal Group called Gwar. I saw them on a “Top Ten Weirdest Bands” video on Youtube. I also heard about them before that point when one of my classmates a few months ago told me that one of the members of her family gave her tickets to see Gwar in concert. She wasn’t interested, but I decided to look them up on Youtube.
I looked them up a couple of months ago and found a link to their song titled “Fuck This Place” which I quickly found out was the song off of their forth coming album that would be released in October of this year. I listened to the song and really enjoyed it. I then bought the album a few days after it was released on iTunes. The album is titled “The Blood of Gods” and to those who don’t know, the original lead vocalist isn’t on this album. He unfortunately passed away back in 2014 due to a Heroin overdose. The new vocalist is good and the album sounds to me anyway, kind of like something close to Deo or ACDC. So Here’s the link for “Fuck This Place”.
Enjoy
James
Group: Gwar
Album: “The Blood of Gods”
Song: “Fuck This Place”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gE6lohKcDmQ
Ah the Kinslayer. I always heard it was a memorial to the shooting, but never was able to piece together just how. Good song though. Very disturbing vocals to be sure. I enjoyed it though.
Yeah, the male vocals in the song are really creepy. Also, the part where he talks about there being no God, sounds like ideas of a nihilistic murderer out of a Dostoyevsky novel or something written by Neitzche.
James
Totally. The words are uttered with power. All though the line "our species eat the wounded ones" is all too apt.
Hey everyone.
I follow Nightwish on Twitter. I started following them a couple of months ago and came across a tweet from them a couple of weeks ago. The tweet was of a video of a single posted to Youtube from Tuomas Holopainen who is the lyricist, front man and keyboard player of Nightwish. He began a new side project with Johanna Kurkela who performs vocals and plays the Viola. Troy Donockley who plays Eulleann Pipes and electric as well as acoustic guitars among other instruments is also in the group. He also is a full member of Nightwish as of their album “Endless Forms Most Beautiful” from 2015. Holopainen also performs backing vocals and keyboards.
They began several years ago as a small idea, but have strengthened over the years in to a collective such that they’re releasing their first album in Spring of 2018. The music is set up in such a way that it doesn’t fit in to one exact genre, but from the song I heard, there’s definitely Celtic influences such as similar ones from Nightwish. I’m really looking forward to this release! I’ll put the link below.
Group: Auri.
Song: Night 13.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYVmmWNskjs
James
Oooh, very nice. I like Joanna. Can't listen right now but will do so for sure. His last side project, The Life and Times of Screuge was fantastic, though again, a bit genre confusing.
Yeah, The Life and Times definitely transended genres. Really good album though. I'm sure this new one coming out by Auri will be really good as well.
James
Hey everyone.
Heere's an interview with the members of Auri, Tuomas Holopainen's new project. I watched it last night and it was interesting hearing what he and the two others had to say about the beginning of Auri and what they're working to create.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbZwXxcQzQU
James
Auri's debut album will be out on March 23 of 2018. I'll be posting should that change, but that's the release date as of the latest information.
James