At 2/5/12 01:42 PM, HeavenDuff wrote: It's groovy, thrashy, heavy and simple. The simplicity of the music is most likely the key of the success of this band. It's pretty good, but I'm usually not a big fans of music that grooves like that. I can still admit they are good at what they do.

That's good that you can appreciate things like that. Most of the people that I know don't have anything positive to say about any bands that they don't like.

Now, I have a few questions for everyone in Metal Hell. I've been asking these around various music forums and I've gotten some interesting answers so far:

Do you download music?

If so, do you download more music than you buy, or the other way around? If you do not download music, or you have more purchased music than downloaded music, what are your primary reasons for paying for a CD rather than simply downloading the album?

Just to clarify, I am in not any way promoting or defending the downloading of music. I admit that I have more downloaded music than purchased music, but I am currently in the process of purchasing many of the albums that I have downloaded in the past, because I do appreciate a CD much more than a folder of downloaded mp3 files. I simply have a psychological interest in others' reasons for spending money on music when they could easily have it for free.

At 2/5/12 04:01 PM, Tremulos wrote: That's good that you can appreciate things like that. Most of the people that I know don't have anything positive to say about any bands that they don't like.

I think there are positive things to say about most music. My friends still believe I'm an elitist because I bitch about pop music being horrible, reggaeton being one of the worst musical genres to ever exist... and commercial hip-hop artists being unable to write anything good.

Some people think I dislike most music I hear, but that's false, it just so happens that most of the music we hear on commercial radio, at the mall, at bars... is always the worst music to ever be written...

But I can appreciate and find qualities to every genre of music I do not personnaly like.

Do you download music?

Yes, I do.

If so, do you download more music than you buy, or the other way around? If you do not download music, or you have more purchased music than downloaded music, what are your primary reasons for paying for a CD rather than simply downloading the album?

I did some calculation something like half a year ago... or even further back on that matter. And if my memories are correct, somethin like 1/3 or 1/4 of my music, I do own on hard copy, so I paid for it. I think it's closer to the 1/3 than the 1/4.

I would like to be able to pay for all my music, to show support to artists... and not to feed rich labels... If these guys were not getting a HUGE cut on every album copy they sell, then maybe the price for an album would be something like 7 to 14 bucks...

If that was the case, it would be much easier for me to pay for all my music.

But yes, I download, because I believe that art is something that needs to be shared. I live through arts. I love music and couldn't imagine stopping listenning to new music. One artist... I don't remember his name... said that downloading music is like what we used to do in the 80's and 90's... get a tape to record a movie... or tape a song that's playing on the radio.

I think there is nothing that can stop us from listenning to music, from sharing arts. And there shouldn't ever be.

When I buy an album, I don't have the feeling I'm buying music. You can't put a price tag on art, imo. When I buy an album, I'm supporting my favorite bands. I'm giving them the money they need to keep going, to keep writting music, to buy their gears, to pay for the production...

Downloading music is inevitable, and I do not really feel bad about it. When I highly appreciate a band, I usually try to buy one of their albums, and by the most direct possible way usually. I'm proud to say I bought my Blotted Science album directly from Ron Jarzombek. So this way, you know you are contributing to the artist, and not to the big money business.

Bottom line. Art doesn't have a price. I buy albums to support artists, I don't feel like I'm paying for music.

Genghis Tron - City on a Hill

I feel almost exactly the same way about downloading/buying, HeavenDuff. Supporting bands financially is the most often quoted reason for buying CDs, but I have something of a personal beef with all these commercial labels doing anything they can to make maximum profits. I never feel like much of the money actually makes it to the band, although I guess there are plenty of bands out there who have made good deals with good labels.

Buying albums directly from the artist is most definitely preferable, but it's tough because it seems like a lot of bands don't interact with their fans on a personal level very much. The Project Hate's composer, Kenth Philipson, makes it very easy to buy straight from him, as he is very active on his own website and forum. I bought all of his albums that he had available, right from him, and I would prefer to buy all my CDs this way.

my thoughts on downloading music
lately i have been finding bands online that offer their music for free downloading.
they always give it free then have ltd edition hard copies for those who want extras like artwork etc.
i actually prefer this method.
gives one chance to hear then decide if they want a hard copy.
underground artists primarily use this to good effect.
they are not greedy...only want to share their works with those who care to share it.
these are the artists i support now.
i would rather pay 20 bucks for a ltd edition of a band i admire than 20 for a band that is only in it for the money and don't have one on one talks with fans.
granted i will more than likely purchase cds from established bands i enjoy..but not as much lately.
i would personally rather purchase a ltd edition release by an unknown artist knowing that artist is using the money for survival..like buying a meal...than buying some big name bands private jet.
just my opinion and thoughts on the matter.

and fukkin Bill Ward is a damn pussy

I download all the music I listen to, which is about 60 gigs or something, I only own 8 cds and only because they are by bands that mean a lot to me i.e Iron Maiden, Dream Theater.

At 2/5/12 07:54 PM, CoCo wrote: I download all the music I listen to, which is about 60 gigs or something, I only own 8 cds and only because they are by bands that mean a lot to me i.e Iron Maiden, Dream Theater.

I have about the same amount of music as you and have around 50 CDs and buy more when I can. Why so cheap bro.

At 2/5/12 07:55 PM, SomaGuye wrote:

At 2/5/12 07:54 PM, CoCo wrote: I download all the music I listen to, which is about 60 gigs or something, I only own 8 cds and only because they are by bands that mean a lot to me i.e Iron Maiden, Dream Theater.

I have about the same amount of music as you and have around 50 CDs and buy more when I can. Why so cheap bro.

I'm not exactly living on money growing trees here. If I'm given money by my parents, which is rarely, I use it for band shirts or save it for upcoming concerts, which is what I'm doing now.

At 2/5/12 05:12 PM, BillPatton wrote: my thoughts on downloading music
lately i have been finding bands online that offer their music for free downloading.
they always give it free then have ltd edition hard copies for those who want extras like artwork etc.
i actually prefer this method.

I like this. Sharing it on their website for free is great. Having a section for donations is a good idea. I would gladly make donations for a record if the album was provided for free by an artist on their website.

gives one chance to hear then decide if they want a hard copy.
underground artists primarily use this to good effect.

In fact, downloading and the internet in general, was always good for artists. It gives them more visibility. There is more artists nowadays because of this. They can use it to their advantage.

they are not greedy...only want to share their works with those who care to share it.
these are the artists i support now.

:)

i would rather pay 20 bucks for a ltd edition of a band i admire than 20 for a band that is only in it for the money and don't have one on one talks with fans.

I like artists who keep a contact with fans :)

And em, 20 bucks is a lot for an album, especially considering the fact that the price is high only because of the label and retailer who both get a huge cut on the album.

granted i will more than likely purchase cds from established bands i enjoy..but not as much lately.
i would personally rather purchase a ltd edition release by an unknown artist knowing that artist is using the money for survival..like buying a meal...than buying some big name bands private jet.
just my opinion and thoughts on the matter.

Support the smaller acts :)

At 2/5/12 08:00 PM, CoCo wrote: I'm not exactly living on money growing trees here. If I'm given money by my parents, which is rarely, I use it for band shirts or save it for upcoming concerts, which is what I'm doing now.

Again and again, if the album wasn't sold for such a high price... they would be selling more albums...

Alcest - La mort plane sur ces contrées glacées

I just realized Sabbath was being discussed earlier, and it kind of saddens me. Not a single one of you suggested a Tony Martin era album. I think it should be mandatory for any Sabbath fan to at least try that era. Tony Martin brought some really cool power metal like vocals to the table. Dehumanizer is also an album lots of Dio fans tend to overlook. Born Again was also pretty good, even though Ian Gillan is what many seem to hate about the album, I really think he did a damn good job.

Just saying, it's a shame how much post-Mob Rules Sabbath is overlooked. I pretty much never see Tony Martin, my favourite of the Sabbath vocalists, named next to Dio or Ozzy. The only thing I can complain about is the lack of Bill Ward. But yes, check out Martin era Sabbath guys, I think it would be good for you.

At 2/5/12 11:10 PM, Tobi wrote: I just realized Sabbath was being discussed earlier, and it kind of saddens me. Not a single one of you suggested a Tony Martin era album. I think it should be mandatory for any Sabbath fan to at least try that era. Tony Martin brought some really cool power metal like vocals to the table. Dehumanizer is also an album lots of Dio fans tend to overlook. Born Again was also pretty good, even though Ian Gillan is what many seem to hate about the album, I really think he did a damn good job.

Just saying, it's a shame how much post-Mob Rules Sabbath is overlooked. I pretty much never see Tony Martin, my favourite of the Sabbath vocalists, named next to Dio or Ozzy. The only thing I can complain about is the lack of Bill Ward. But yes, check out Martin era Sabbath guys, I think it would be good for you.

well i tried Tony Martin ear Sabbath...
didnt like it that much
i mean granted its okay
but i didnt absolutely love it
i did like Born Again though
as im a fan of Sabbath and Deep Purple

i try getting around to listening to post-Mob Rules Sabbath but never really get around to it...

At 2/5/12 01:22 PM, Viper50 wrote:

At 2/5/12 10:34 AM, Bahamut wrote: Any left of what?

Blue Record

Ah yes. Speaking of Blue Record, I finally purchased it so no further waiting now apart from delivery.

I'm still missing Remission. I would have picked it up much sooner if I was seeing them live. I could have seen them in a few days time but friends' budgets have only allowed them to see Alestorm this month.

you can get it for about...$15 or something on Relapse.com

Generally for international labels, postage can be demanding even for a single CD. I'd have to pick a bunch of albums from their store to justify the postage cost.

I have over 500 from metal alone but there's still tons of stuff to get. I should get some Baroness once and for all.

well i dont have the money to go out and buy a bunch of CDs and when i go looking for certain CDs i cant find them or i dont have the money to get them and whatever else i was going to get...

I have a few grand in my bank account but I only want to get a certain amount of albums each month.

At 2/5/12 04:01 PM, Tremulos wrote: Do you download music?

It's something I've wanted to avoid but when it comes to extremely rare stuff, I really can't use eBay as an option and the only way of obtaining it is by downloading. I'm still willing to buy Slough Feg's self-titled album if it gets reissued. Still, at this point it's hard to blame others for downloading. There's just far too much to get and so little money.

If there's a problem or two I have with downloading, they are the fact that often the tags may not be correct or the track file is buggered. The other concern is that I'm not as motivated to listen to an album I downloaded as I am with buying a CD. The best way to listen to the albums I pick up online is put them together on a single playlist and save it for a journey to London.

At 2/5/12 11:34 PM, Viper50 wrote: well i tried Tony Martin ear Sabbath...

The best I've heard from Tony Martin era is TYR. Not magnificent but still has plenty of good moments to hear. I still need to hear Headless Cross and Cross Purposes. The only other Sabbath albums I'm missing are Born Again and Seventh Star.

FUCK TO THE YEAH
its good to be back here on NG and seeing the wonderfulness that is the redesign :P
i hope my fellow hellions of the Metal Hell enjoy what they see

I celebrated the redesign with some Opeth... If that makes any logical sense.

While the site was down, I figured it was the best time to cook up some album reviews. I have three done, two half-done and one posted online which covers Dark Forest's Dawn of Infinity. This is the British power metal Dark Forest, not the other variants some of you may know. Still, anyone into power metal and/or traditional metal should check this out.

Damn it´s great to return to NG.....also the redesign is so fucking great \m/

I got Blue Record today. Although I've listened to the album before, it's certainly easier to appreciate it on a looped playlist of it. Still, it's hard to beat The Sweetest Curse but maybe Red Album has something even better. I may go ahead and pick that up later on the week.

At 11 hours ago, greensucksbluerules wrote: I remember when Newgrounds used to be the only site where you couldn't have your own avatar on the forums.

Well, times are changing and now it's looking even more neat. Of course, not everyone will think the same so I'll leave your own thoughts to yourself.

headed down to the hospital.
i have a lump on the back of my neck near my head i need to get checked out.
i am scared shitless right now.
will let you all know as soon as i do what it is.
later

So, this redesign is pretty snazzy.

So i have been spending most of my time at home so i have been listening to as much metal/metal-core related music as possible. What i did manage to get through was.

Alcest - Les Voyages De L'ame (2012)
Animals As Leaders - Weightless (2011)
Decapitated - Carnival Is Forever (2011)
Korn - The Path Of Totality (2011) (Although a much bigger empherise on dubstep but whatever, i still liked the album)
Nightwish - Imaginaerum (2011)
Scale The Summit - The Collective (2011)
The Agonist - Lullabies For The Dormant Mind (2009)
Turisas - Stand Up And Fight (2011)
Xerath - II (2011)

At 3 hours ago, Bahamut wrote: I got Blue Record today. Although I've listened to the album before, it's certainly easier to appreciate it on a looped playlist of it. Still, it's hard to beat The Sweetest Curse but maybe Red Album has something even better. I may go ahead and pick that up later on the week.

sweet :P
its a really good album
how much did you end up spending on it?

At 47 minutes ago, BillPatton wrote: headed down to the hospital.
i have a lump on the back of my neck near my head i need to get checked out.
i am scared shitless right now.
will let you all know as soon as i do what it is.
later

i hope its not something serious dude D:

hope it's nothing serious Bill. good luck.

Red Album is better than Blue Record, which is saying a lot.

This site is super buggy right now. shit.

At 2 minutes ago, Sense-Offender wrote: Red Album is better than Blue Record, which is saying a lot.

i can kinda agree with you on that...

This site is super buggy right now. shit.

and i noticed that and its ticking me off quite a bit

waiting on word about what clinic i will be going to.
they want to do a biopsy.
all i know for know except that if i notice any drastic changes i am to get to the ER immediately.
this suxxxxxxxxxxx.

Hey guys, let's not forget Baroness'es First and Second EPs. I'm probably split with you guys, but I prefer the Blue Album. More varied sound.

I'm really not digging this redesign tbh.

At 2 days ago, Tobi wrote: Just saying, it's a shame how much post-Mob Rules Sabbath is overlooked. I pretty much never see Tony Martin, my favourite of the Sabbath vocalists, named next to Dio or Ozzy. The only thing I can complain about is the lack of Bill Ward. But yes, check out Martin era Sabbath guys, I think it would be good for you.

I don't know that guy you are talking about :P

Well, not like I really know Black Sabbath that much. But I figured I would go through the best Ozzy era albums, than the best Dio era albums... I didn't even knew there has been another vocalist in the band, except for these two :O

At 18 hours ago, greensucksbluerules wrote: I remember when Newgrounds used to be the only site where you couldn't have your own avatar on the forums.

I have an hard time spotting myself on that new forum >:(

At 4 hours ago, twistex wrote: So i have been spending most of my time at home so i have been listening to as much metal/metal-core related music as possible. What i did manage to get through was.

Alcest - Les Voyages De L'ame (2012)

This new album by Alcest is totally fantastic. I was thinking about writting a review for it on Metal Archives. It isn't perfect all the way through. But there are three songs that really stands out and make me love this release.

Scale The Summit - The Collective (2011)

Fantastic record, for a fantastic band :) The music is very emotion-filled, which is important for an instrumental album, imo.

The Agonist - Lullabies For The Dormant Mind (2009)

Not a good release. This album is a mix of the worst elements of metalcore, deathcore and melodic death, without the good aspects of all these genres individualy. The songwritting is lazy, the riffs are forgettable... there is no originality whatsoever on this album. I think they spent more time and money on promoting the sexy vocalist bitch's outfits and commercialisation than on the album music. If these guys once wrote anything worthwhile, you will find it on their first album. Not on this incoherent chugfest they dare to call an album.

At 5 minutes ago, Tobi wrote: Hey guys, let's not forget Baroness'es First and Second EPs. I'm probably split with you guys, but I prefer the Blue Album. More varied sound.

I'm really not digging this redesign tbh.

Except for the few bugs, what's so bad about it?

At 58 seconds ago, HeavenDuff wrote: I don't know that guy you are talking about :P

Well, not like I really know Black Sabbath that much. But I figured I would go through the best Ozzy era albums, than the best Dio era albums... I didn't even knew there has been another vocalist in the band, except for these two :O

Well, you're kind of new to them, so it's understandable. It just amazes me how many people who love Sabbath to the point they know all their original songs, but never even look into the other vocalists. Sabbath, as far as I know, had
5 vocalists (in chronological order, excluding returns): Ozzy, Dio, Ian Gillan (Deep Purple), Glenn Hughes, and Tony Martin. That's three vocalists almost nobody knows (at least for being Sabbath), and considering how much of a famed band they are, that confuses me. But anyway, if you wanna hear stuff beyond Ozzy and Dio, check out Born Again (Gillan), as well as any three of the Martin albums (Eternal Idol, Headless Cross, Tyr). I would advise overlooking Glenn, he just isn't a good vocalist for Sabbath.

Except for the few bugs, what's so bad about it?

It's too flashy. Though I thought NG could use some changes, this was a bit much. Some things are improved, but I wouldn't mind having the old look back.

Since I remember AniMetal brining up Yes when I was looking for Y bands, I decided I need to get into early prog rock. I've also seen King Crimson thrown around here. So for the bands Yes, King Crimson, and Genesis, what albums should I get to check out some prog rock?

Also, hope everything is going to be OK Bill. I am praying for you.

At 5 hours ago, BillPatton wrote: headed down to the hospital.
i have a lump on the back of my neck near my head i need to get checked out.
i am scared shitless right now.
will let you all know as soon as i do what it is.
later

Best of luck man.

At 4 hours ago, Viper50 wrote:

At 3 hours ago, Bahamut wrote: I got Blue Record today. Although I've listened to the album before, it's certainly easier to appreciate it on a looped playlist of it. Still, it's hard to beat The Sweetest Curse but maybe Red Album has something even better. I may go ahead and pick that up later on the week.

sweet :P
its a really good album
how much did you end up spending on it?

£8.50 on Amazon. While I was out I made a trip to HMV just to get Red Album. However, while I was there I decided to pick up Control Denied as well.

At 34 minutes ago, Zodir wrote: So for the bands Yes, King Crimson, and Genesis, what albums should I get to check out some prog rock?

I can only fill in my thoughts on King Crimson. In the Court of the Crimson King is an obvious choice but it's one of the best of its kind and should not be missed at all. Apart from that, Lizard is an album worth hearing. Cirkus is one of the best songs outside the debut album. I shall await to hear what others have to say about Yes and Genesis. Maybe I could pick up some Genesis sometime this month.

At 19 minutes ago, Bahamut wrote:

At 4 hours ago, Viper50 wrote:

sweet :P
its a really good album
how much did you end up spending on it?

Ã'£8.50 on Amazon. While I was out I made a trip to HMV just to get Red Album. However, while I was there I decided to pick up Control Denied as well.

sweetness
thats pretty cheap compared to how much you were finding it for sale for

OG NG was better.

All this talk about King Crimson going on and yet I haven't ever listened to one song by them yet. Here I come youtube.