At 5/25/17 01:47 AM, Ganon-Dorf wrote: To be fair they have been very successful in Europe, it's just starting to bleed over to North America now.

Oh, I know they've always been pretty successful. But right now they seem to be getting a lot of recognition from music fans who rarely ever go past Slipknot, Rammstein, Metallica, Iron Maiden and Amon Amarth when it comes to metal music. It's kind of weird to see kids who know jackshit about power metal getting so excited about them all of a sudden. I've not seen a power metal band get such hype outside of their traditionnal fanbase since DragonForce's presence on a Guitar Hero game.

At 5/25/17 01:18 PM, ConnorGrail wrote: Damn son, I've never heard this band before but I am digging this. It's like a more intense Strapping Young Lad. Probably gonna listen to more of this.

Sigh is a pretty amazing beast! All of their albums are quite different from one another so you might not find the same exact sounnd on other releases, but if you're willing to explore an amazing discography, I'd recommend listening to their album Imaginary Sonicscape. And if you're looking for something similar to Hangman's Hymn, you might enjoy Scenes From Hell.

Speaking of Strapping Young Lad, what does everyone think of Devin around here?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jZjziohaPc

I've always kind of liked his music, but at the same time I've always felt like I was "not really getting it". Like there was always something I was not fully grasping and appreciating like I would have liked to appreciate it.

Ever get that feeling? That feeling that you should be enjoying something more than what you actually are? Typically what it means for me is that I have to keep listening to it, or try other records and tracks by the same artist/band to fully appreciate it's work.

Oh yeah @HeavenDuff I have a copy of both Heavy Rocks albums now. The orange one cost me over $40 with shipping which was the cheapest copy I could find at the moment. I randomly remembered talking about that with you a long ass time ago. Apparently it's never been pressed on vinyl and that cd is the only time they made physical copies of the album. Weird.

At 6/8/17 09:21 AM, Viper wrote: Oh yeah @HeavenDuff I have a copy of both Heavy Rocks albums now. The orange one cost me over $40 with shipping which was the cheapest copy I could find at the moment.

The first one? I never owned a physical copy, but I've had it for a long time. It's one of the best stoner metal or rock albums of all time and the main reason I love Boris.

At 5/2/17 06:20 AM, ClandestineTemple wrote: Acid Bath

Fuckin' A.

Don't forget Georgia, though. Kylesa, Baroness, Mastodon, Black Tusk. Bummer Kylesa broke up, but they went out with a great album.

At 6/9/17 12:30 PM, Sense-Offender wrote:

At 6/8/17 09:21 AM, Viper wrote: Oh yeah @HeavenDuff I have a copy of both Heavy Rocks albums now. The orange one cost me over $40 with shipping which was the cheapest copy I could find at the moment.

The first one? I never owned a physical copy, but I've had it for a long time. It's one of the best stoner metal or rock albums of all time and the main reason I love Boris.

It's actually one of the albums that got me really into the whole genre beyond shit like Kyuss, Sleep, Acid King, etc.

At 5/2/17 06:20 AM, ClandestineTemple wrote: Acid Bath

Fuckin' A.

Don't forget Georgia, though. Kylesa, Baroness, Mastodon, Black Tusk. Bummer Kylesa broke up, but they went out with a great album.

I wish I could have seen Kylesa once before they broke up. But what can ya do? Also Pete Adams left Baroness.

My favorite metal subgenre is stoner/doom metal.
Sleep - Jerusalem

I also love black metal, war metal, and tech thrash.

Sigh - Infidel Art
Revenge (Can) - Scum.Collapse.Eradication
Aspid - Effusion of Blood / Extravasation

At 6/8/17 09:21 AM, Viper wrote: Oh yeah @HeavenDuff I have a copy of both Heavy Rocks albums now. The orange one cost me over $40 with shipping which was the cheapest copy I could find at the moment. I randomly remembered talking about that with you a long ass time ago. Apparently it's never been pressed on vinyl and that cd is the only time they made physical copies of the album. Weird.

I remember dreaming that I bought the first Heavy Rocks, haha :P I'd love to get my hands on this album someday! But it's still a pretty expensive album to buy. It's cool that you got it though!

I really like Heavy Rocks II, but the first one is one of the most amazing records ever made!

At 6/9/17 12:30 PM, Sense-Offender wrote: The first one? I never owned a physical copy, but I've had it for a long time. It's one of the best stoner metal or rock albums of all time and the main reason I love Boris.

It is!

Pink is also quite memorable.

At 6/9/17 04:04 PM, Viper wrote: It's actually one of the albums that got me really into the whole genre beyond shit like Kyuss, Sleep, Acid King, etc.

I got into Sleep pretty late, haha! I had been listening to stuff like Bongripper, Electric Wizard and Boris for a while before I actually gave these guys a proper listen. It's pretty weird how I often skip on the big bands when I first get into a new genre.

At 6/9/17 05:44 PM, normalgeist wrote: My favorite metal subgenre is stoner/doom metal.
Sleep - Jerusalem

Cool :) You're right on time for a stoner doom discussion!

I also love black metal, war metal, and tech thrash.

Tech thrash? Like Vektor or Watchtower? Any other bands to recommend in the genre?

What bm do you like?

Tech thrash? Like Vektor or Watchtower? Any other bands to recommend in the genre?

What bm do you like?

I love old school tech thrash like Atheist, Aspid, and Obliveon. Vektor's amazing too and Terminal Redux was the best metal album of 2016 imo.

In terms of bm, I love avant-garde or atmospheric black metal, with my favorite bm band being Sigh. Vattnet Viskar, Saor, Blut Aus Nord, and Peste Noire are also highly recommended.

At 6/14/17 08:16 PM, Zornuzkull wrote: hmmmm... black metal... about fucking time...

I just watched halfway of a black metal documentary its on youtube for free it's pretty cool it follows around fenriz for a bit and talks to varg.

Today I've listened to In Flames for the first time. It was great... until their vocalist opened mouth and started singing.

I will never understand Death Metal, sorry guys.

Speaking of Strapping Young Lad, what does everyone think of Devin around here?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jZjziohaPc

"Ocean Machine: Biomech" is my favourite work of Devin Townsend. I especially like "Funeral".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTIMlGub4F4

At 6/21/17 07:56 AM, MysteryG wrote: Today I've listened to In Flames for the first time. It was great... until their vocalist opened mouth and started singing.

I will never understand Death Metal, sorry guys.

Are In Flames considered "Death Metal"? I thought they were under that "Alternative Metal" umbrella that bands like Mudvayne, Mushroomhead, Dope, Chevelle, etc are put in.

At 6/21/17 07:56 AM, MysteryG wrote: Today I've listened to In Flames for the first time. It was great... until their vocalist opened mouth and started singing.

I will never understand Death Metal, sorry guys.

did you listen to the new or old stuff. i think a lot of the newer stuff is mostly clean vocals, and a lot of the old stuff is a mix cleans and screaming. i hated that style of singing at first too but i got into it eventually, i got eased into it by listening to bands that use both clean and screaming vocals.

At 6/21/17 08:50 AM, Viper wrote:

At 6/21/17 07:56 AM, MysteryG wrote: Today I've listened to In Flames for the first time. It was great... until their vocalist opened mouth and started singing.

I will never understand Death Metal, sorry guys.

Are In Flames considered "Death Metal"? I thought they were under that "Alternative Metal" umbrella that bands like Mudvayne, Mushroomhead, Dope, Chevelle, etc are put in.

I've listened to their older stuff. Maybe their newer songs are more "alternative". I don't know.

Badass album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNCaxISmd8k

I've listened to "Atonement" by Opeth. It was nice, but... I'm Christian (Roman Catholic) and I heard that Mikael Åkerfeldt (the lider of that band) used to be satanist. Now he's not satanist, but he still has anti-Christian views. It is OK to Christian to listen to band like that? :(

At 7/1/17 08:46 AM, MysteryG wrote: I've listened to "Atonement" by Opeth. It was nice, but... I'm Christian (Roman Catholic) and I heard that Mikael Åkerfeldt (the lider of that band) used to be satanist. Now he's not satanist, but he still has anti-Christian views. It is OK to Christian to listen to band like that? :(

If you like the music then why does it matter what religion the band or its members are? Just listen to it.

At 7/1/17 08:46 AM, MysteryG wrote: I've listened to "Atonement" by Opeth. It was nice, but... I'm Christian (Roman Catholic) and I heard that Mikael Åkerfeldt (the lider of that band) used to be satanist. Now he's not satanist, but he still has anti-Christian views. It is OK to Christian to listen to band like that? :(

I don't think it's necessarily wrong to like the band, but if you disagree with some of their songs or songwriting because they're not Christian, well, attribute that to your Christian beliefs and just delete whatever you don't like from your playlist. Also be aware that the band leader will probably cut or limit any Christian influences in the music. If that makes you really uncomfortable, find another band. There are countless more out there that you may even find you like better.

That said, I'm a die-hard Nightwish fan, and a lot of their songs reference fantasy elements, which pick and choose when they want to jive with the Christian narrative. Does it mean that their music is bad, nah. It just means I may or may not agree with some of it or think it's fantasy bs that, although it sounds nice, has no real substance aside from being a pretty fairy tale. Doesn't make it any less fun to listen to.

If you want safe-for-your-ears stuff, there's also Christian metal bands.

Ultimately it doesn't really matter what religious convictions a band has or doesn't have. If they're against Christianity, I usually just assume they had REALLY shitty experiences with Christians who didn't act very Christian, judged them, or made their lives living hell. It's up to you whether you decide to let a particular kind of music influence you, your beliefs, or your life. If music of a certain kind makes you uncomfortable, it's always prudent to ask why. Is it because you're not solid on your own beliefs, or is it because you just find it disrespectful, distasteful, or degrading? The alternative is that you may not be able to relate to it. If your beliefs get in the way of that, then question which is wrong, the song, or the possibly repressive belief system.

I'll admit, Christianity is a lot of the reason I can't enjoy a lot of mainstream music, especially rap and pop, not because I would feel ashamed to be doing a lot of what rap and pop glorify or God would punish me or some bs, but just because a lot of the things they talk about don't fulfill me. It's not the kind of life that makes me happy. It's just distractions -- one night stands, sex, drugs and alcohol, riches, etc. There's no good news, just bitching and moaning and glorifying the things that fuck us up. I like music that uplifts and motivates me to do better, to overcome, not to fall down on my face like everyone else.

The main question you should always ask is whether you can relate to a song or not, or its intentions. If a band is talking about skull fucking and raping, that's not something I can get behind, not just because I'm a Christian, but because I find it distasteful and degrading. If they're talking about overcoming fears, feeding the hungry, tending to the sick, helping people, striving to do better, emotion, or some other topic I can relate to like realizing someone doesn't deserve me because they don't appreciate me, that might be right up my alley.

So the question is, can you relate to most of Opeth's catalog, or does it just sound sort of pretty with an uncomfortable aftertaste?

Thanks, dude.

By the way, today I've listened to Necrophagist for the first time. It was OK, but it would be a hundred times better without that shitty vocals.

OSDM/Doom
https://youtu.be/tjaV-3PLXh8

At 6/14/17 08:08 PM, normalgeist wrote: In terms of bm, I love avant-garde or atmospheric black metal, with my favorite bm band being Sigh. Vattnet Viskar, Saor, Blut Aus Nord, and Peste Noire are also highly recommended.

I love both Sigh and Peste Noire.

If you ever feel like discovering some amazing bm, you should look up the Quebec scene.

Monarque - Ad Nauseam
Délétère - Les Heures De La Peste

Or give the polish band Mgla a listen. They wreck shit up!

Mgła - Exercises in Futility

At 6/21/17 07:56 AM, MysteryG wrote: Today I've listened to In Flames for the first time. It was great... until their vocalist opened mouth and started singing.

I will never understand Death Metal, sorry guys.

Which album?

At 6/21/17 08:50 AM, Viper wrote: Are In Flames considered "Death Metal"? I thought they were under that "Alternative Metal" umbrella that bands like Mudvayne, Mushroomhead, Dope, Chevelle, etc are put in.

Are you really asking, Viper? I mean, I know what they're playing right now is a brand of bad nu-metal, mallcore, watered-down melodic death metal, but they've been an important band for the swedish melodic death metal scene in the past.

At 7/1/17 08:46 AM, MysteryG wrote: I've listened to "Atonement" by Opeth. It was nice, but... I'm Christian (Roman Catholic) and I heard that Mikael Åkerfeldt (the lider of that band) used to be satanist. Now he's not satanist, but he still has anti-Christian views. It is OK to Christian to listen to band like that? :(

I'm pretty sure he said it was only a part of the imagery and that he only liked it because it was cool to do it. The guy is an atheist, not a satanist and even less of an theistic satanist.

At 7/8/17 02:05 AM, MysteryG wrote: By the way, today I've listened to Necrophagist for the first time. It was OK, but it would be a hundred times better without that shitty vocals.

This attitude always bothered me. You don't have to like it, but to completely dismiss their artistic value without any further reasons than "I don't like em" seems kind of shallow to me.

If you dislike the death metal vocals, go for instrumental death metal. There isn't much of it, but it exists. Blotted Science's The Machination of Dementia has a lot of death metal elements and is completely instrumental. You might well possibly like it :)

At 7/20/17 02:28 AM, HeavenDuff wrote:

At 6/21/17 08:50 AM, Viper wrote: Are In Flames considered "Death Metal"? I thought they were under that "Alternative Metal" umbrella that bands like Mudvayne, Mushroomhead, Dope, Chevelle, etc are put in.

Are you really asking, Viper? I mean, I know what they're playing right now is a brand of bad nu-metal, mallcore, watered-down melodic death metal, but they've been an important band for the swedish melodic death metal scene in the past.

Well I meant more for their newer stuff. I dig their first few albums. I saw them awhile back with Red Fang and Opeth and they primarily played newer stuff and I pretty much lost interest like 1/3 of the way into their set. But the person who was running the soundboard seemed like they had no idea what they were doing because everything during THEIR set was cranked up obnoxiously loud to the point where my now ex couldn't hear me even if I spoke directly into her ear.

At 7/21/17 01:32 AM, Viper wrote: Well I meant more for their newer stuff. I dig their first few albums. I saw them awhile back with Red Fang and Opeth and they primarily played newer stuff and I pretty much lost interest like 1/3 of the way into their set. But the person who was running the soundboard seemed like they had no idea what they were doing because everything during THEIR set was cranked up obnoxiously loud to the point where my now ex couldn't hear me even if I spoke directly into her ear.

Yeah... InFlames have been on that downhill slope for more than a decade now. They've long stopped being relevant, but it doesn't seem to bother their present day fans.... I just can't see what's compelling about a directionless beaten-down band like modern day InFlames...

They're one of the many bands who've not released a single really engaging and creative album in ages but who still manage to headline shows.

You guys have heard the new Arch Enemy single?
Arch Enemy - The World Is Yours

Even with guys like Amott and Loomis on guitars they manage to be completely inoffensive. I don't know if this single is mediocre of if Amott and the gang just finally chose that playing it safe forever was the best plan for them to build themselves a big retirement fund...

And that chorus!

"If you want the world
Use your mind
Take control
Feel the strength
Rise from within
If you really want it the world is yours"

Fucking really? This is the pseudo-heavy version of a Katy Perry song...

Today I've listened Scar Symmetry for the first time.

It wasn't bad... but it wasn't very good either.

At 7/21/17 08:02 PM, HeavenDuff wrote: You guys have heard the new Arch Enemy single?
Arch Enemy - The World Is Yours

I've listened to that song. It was... meh.

At 7/23/17 08:00 AM, MysteryG wrote: Today I've listened Scar Symmetry for the first time.

It wasn't bad... but it wasn't very good either.

Their best work, IMO, is found on the album Pitch Black Progress
The Illusionist

But I also enjoy some of their least complex, more "pop" material on The Unseen Empire
The Anomaly

At 7/21/17 08:02 PM, HeavenDuff wrote:

Yeah... InFlames have been on that downhill slope for more than a decade now. They've long stopped being relevant, but it doesn't seem to bother their present day fans.... I just can't see what's compelling about a directionless beaten-down band like modern day InFlames...

The trick is don't listen to much stuff after Clayman, just have whoracle, colony and clayman albums in your collection and pretend they didn't come out with bad stuff. living in the past is the trick.

At 7/23/17 08:00 AM, MysteryG wrote: Today I've listened Scar Symmetry for the first time.

It wasn't bad... but it wasn't very good either.

I had some friends in high school who were heavily into em. They were ight.

At 7/23/17 01:49 PM, Sneak-a-Toke wrote: The trick is don't listen to much stuff after Clayman, just have whoracle, colony and clayman albums in your collection and pretend they didn't come out with bad stuff. living in the past is the trick.

The Jester Race was also pretty good. I'm less familiar with Lunar Strain though, but I know that the fans always loved it.

Sigh - Scarlett Dream

I've been listening to "To a frown" by Buzzoven.
It wasn't bad, but Sludge Metal is rather not my kind of music.