METALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!

[DanBoy]

I'm getting into Metal, which is a bit scary seeing as, when playing music, I'm more of a jazz/funk man, and when I'm listening to music in my leisure time I -generally speaking- stick to the incomprihensibly vast "dance" genre.

Currently, I only have a few Metal CDs in my collection:

Incubus - Science (and Morning View and Make Yourself, but Science is best IMO).
Pantera - Vulgar Display Of Power (loving it)!
Slayer - South of Heaven (an album which was recommended to me by a mate some years agom and which I've just got around to buying).

With the above as a guidline, anybody care to help me broaden my horizons?

[bga]

Metallica, Sepultura, Machine Head are all good imo.
Maybe classic stuff like Judas Priest, Sabbath, Motley Crue, Motorhead, Iron Maiden

[neil.b]

Depends if you want modern or Old School?

From the past few years, a couple of favourites of mine who I think have expanded the genre are Deftones, Amen and System Of A Down (although Amen are more hardcore punk but by christ they can't half bang it out). I'd especially check out Deftone's first two albums.

I also happen to think Slipknot are pretty astonishing. Proper full on aural terrorism but, at the hands of Ross Robinson (who also produces Amen, thir first album at least) they show some real metal sensability.

Also so home-grown talent - Biffy Clyro. As I said in an earlier post, their song "Eradicate The Doubt" (From "Vertigo Of Bliss") is one of THE most rocking-est tracks EVER but with some degree of intelligence to the arrangement. Cracking stuff. In fact, I'm going to have to go and listen to it right now.

[brainsaw]

old school is too whiney.
nu skool is to whussy or samey.
.. of course there are exceptions (Sikth for one)... but talking about the big bands generally.
Therefore I'm defining midschool as the best... some depend on how wide you spread the metal net...
Sepultura, Fear Factory, Faith no more, Rage against the machine, therapy?, Rammstein and as you mention, Pantera and Slayer .. I'll include Korn in there too... and everything you'll find on roadrunner records made in the mid 90's

[DanBoy]

I like Rage Against the Machine - Some truly sick guitar stuff going on there, but the geezers high-pitched voice grates a bit.

Can't get into Rammstein as there is a touch of Kraftwerk about their stuff in my opinion, and whilst I accept that Kraftwerk were pioneers of synth-pop, they have little or no place in Metal!

Thanks for the other recommendations, guys! Keep 'em coming.

[IvIark]

Megadeth - So Far So Good So What
Slayer - Reign in Blood

and you've got to have some Maiden in your collection or you must be faking it!

Best of the Beast is a good start.

>> Edited by IvIark on Friday 4th March 22:23

[cinqster]

Not a huge metal fan, but I would recommend the track 'Rusty Cage' by Soundgarden.

Apparently 'Grunge' yet still rating nicely by Madmike!

What do I know...got Faithless on right now!

>> Edited by cinqster on Saturday 5th March 00:27

[hornet]

Depends what you're after really, as metal has an incredible number of sub-genres. Classic stuff you really should have :-

Motorhead - Ace of Spades / Overkill
Metallica - Master of Puppets / Metallica (the black one)
Maiden - Piece of Mind / Number of the Beast / Seventh Son
Sepultura - Arise / Chaos AD / Roots
Slayer - Reign in Blood / Seasons in the Abyss

I sort of missed out "mid period" metal, as I was off in the realm of death and black metal, but I suppose stuff like Pantera, Machine Head and Fear Factory would fit the bill, although I'll leave it to others for actual recommendations. If you fancy a dip in the extreme waters, get hold of "Necroticism..." and "Heartwork" by Carcass.

Nu metal generally bores me to tears as it's just so uninteresting and formulaic (quiet bit, loud bit, shouty bit about hating everyone etc etc), but if that's your thing, Linkin Park are pretty damn good at it. Korn were ok for a bit, but need to find something else to sing about, Limp Bizkit are best avoided at all cost and although Slipknot have their moments, I'd go for Mushroomhead instead as there's more going on than simply a boiler suited angry freak show. I'd elevate System of a Down above the nu metal tag, as they're way more interesting, as are Killswitch Engage. Other stuff I'd suggest would be the newer wave of metal bands coming out of the States - Mastodon being the standout, but there's loads.

Oh, forgot to mention Bruce Dickinson's (Maiden) solo effrots - Chemical Wedding and Accident of Birth are well worth checking out (especially his take on "Jerusalem"). Silicon Messiah and Tenth Dimenson by ex Wolfsbane / Maiden crooner Blaze Bailey (as "Blaze") are also cracking in a new style old school metal type way. Avoid power metal at all cost though - if you see anything with cover art like this :



and titles like "Power of the Dragon Flame" or "Sonic Firestorm", run away as fast as possible, perhaps even soar away on the wings of a demon...it's horrible. Musically very, very good, just suffering from over twiddliness and unhealthy dragon fixations. Germans seem to like it a lot, but the appeal is utterly lost on me.

[madmike]

If you send me an e-mail offline, I will send you a database with my entire metal collection catalogued in it, along with my rating system for each album.

[e-mail]

Also, check my band out:

www.metalasylum.com/ds

Mike (Shameless self promoter and amateur metal historian)

[madmike]

Here, I'll save you the trouble.

I uploaded a web page printout of my CD collection.

My rating scale is Zero (worst) to 5 (best). Godly means just that...it's gogly, above a 5, and a must have.

www.metalasylum.com/misc/CDList.html

Still check out my band tho...

www.metalasylum.com/ds

Mike

[v8thunder]

One band that's been overlooked for ages is GZR. They did the whole nu-metal thing many years before anyone else thought it up, and better than anyone else too. Their song 'Drive boy, Shooting' is a great one for taking your frustrations out on some twisties.

[hornet]

madmike said:

Here, I'll save you the trouble. I uploaded a web page printout of my CD collection. My rating scale is Zero (worst) to 5 (best). Godly means just that...it's gogly, above a 5, and a must have.

Lots of death metal goodness in there, not all to my taste (just do not get Nile at all), but still some good stuff. No Autopsy though? Used to have a lot of that stuff years ago, before I started, erm, "mellowing" and going from fast extreme stuff to the slower end of the spectrum.

[madmike]

Have heard Autopsy but never bought them. My old roommate did. I just never felt the need to replace them.

Yeah, I'm primarily a deathmetal guy, but I love all kinds of metal. I have tons of tapes as well that aren't catalogued.

But I love Sabbath and Priest, etc.

[cinqster]

Mike,

Is that a pre' 73 UK number plate on that Esprit? Now that's American irony!

[cinqster]

cinqster said:

Mike, Is that a pre' 73 UK number plate on that Esprit? Now that's American irony!

Note I've got to that age where I didn't even see the young laydee!

[madmike]

cinqster said:

Mike, Is that a pre' 73 UK number plate on that Esprit? Now that's American irony!

It's gone now so I couldn't tell you. I got tired of paying tickets for an illegal plate.

I was getting one a month!

[madmike]

cinqster said:

cinqster said: Mike, Is that a pre' 73 UK number plate on that Esprit? Now that's American irony! Note I've got to that age where I didn't even see the young laydee!

Hehe

[hornet]

madmike said:

Have heard Autopsy but never bought them. My old roommate did. I just never felt the need to replace them. Yeah, I'm primarily a deathmetal guy, but I love all kinds of metal. I have tons of tapes as well that aren't catalogued. But I love Sabbath and Priest, etc.

I went through a big death metal/grindcore phase, after my big thrash phase and before my black metal phase, which was followed by my doom and stoner phase, where I've sort of stayed ever since

Still listen to some stupidly fast and extreme stuff like Nasum and Exhumed, and still have most of my old LPs (loads of thrash - Dark Angel, Forbidden, Nuclear Assault etc etc etc). Seem to be able to remember an unhealthy amount about all the bands from that era though, even though I'm listening to totally different stuff now.

Ever heard Pentagram? Very similar feel to the first four Sabbath records and they've been around (on and off) for nearly as long I think - formed in something like 1971 but didn't release an LP until 1984! Cult heroes in the doom scene.

[Nevin]

Sorry, a bit O/T, but can anyone tell me the name of a song. It was out about two years ago and was by someone like Pantera/Slayer/Sepultura called something like Long Way Home.

The video was the band on stage interspersed with a guy walking down the road.

[madmike]

hornet said:

Ever heard Pentagram?

Yes, they actually recorded one of their albums at the same studio where we recorded our demo.