What are you listening to today?

I usually see no correlation between epic and tempo/technicality. To me music is epic when I picture the songs music video as, well, epic. One thing that springs to mind is the scene in LotR: Return of the King where the riders of Rohan enter the fields of Minas Tirith as the sun sets down, bathing the fields in golden light. That's my understanding of epic =D.

The word epic can be translated to something like majestic, or grandiose, and that's exactly what I feel when I listen to Human Fortress. There aren't many bands that I've come across that can create this kind of smooth, simple sense of importance and majesty, and I love them for it.

There are of course different types of music that could be considered as epic: like Gamma Ray, Nightwish, Kamelot, Lost Horizon, the list goes on and on.

I do agree that their music isn't very versatile, but I also think that's one of their greatest strengths. Defenders of the Crown still stays at the top of my list ^_^.

Certainly by all means, I was not intending to imply that the tempo of a song dictates its epic(ness).

That was just a seperate description of my opinion of the bands music, not intended to be read in connection with one another. Oops!

Although I do have to ask.. how can a lack of versatility in a given band/album ever be considered a strength? I can only see that as a weakness, and although never really detrimental to the band in itself, certainly not a positive thing.

I'm not slamming your taste, hell I listen to Limp Bizkit's first three albums all the time hah hah. But im just curious.
 
Although I do have to ask.. how can a lack of versatility in a given band/album ever be considered a strength? I can only see that as a weakness, and although never really detrimental to the band in itself, certainly not a positive thing.

Hmm, now that I look back, I might have chosen my words badly. Versatile is maybe too radical ( and possibly wrong too ), what I initially meant was that they aren't surprising. Some ( or most ) bands try to add something to the equation, a special drum fill, a quick guitar lick, maybe a complete change in aggressiveness. Human Fortress again doesn't do this as much, at the beginning of a song I can immediately say what type of a song it is, and somewhat how it will progress.

Maybe a better word for Human Fortress would be consistency, or predictability. In the long run this is could be considered as negative, but you can't really say that the song is bad if looked at objectively. Some people might say that the songs are shallow or simple, which they might be, but sometimes simplicity can be a lot more powerful than complexity.

Hehe, and don't worry, I'm not trying to convince you to like them, I can totally see why people wouldn't find them that good. Mostly because they do lack sharp hooks that would really grab you, a real kick in the balls you could say. =D

Oh, and you can slam my tastes all you want, as long as you give some kind of explanations why (unlike some jerks who bash and bash, until I ask why, which usually ends in silence) :rofl:. I always enjoy a good discussion. :)
 
Just discovered the band Oylmpos Mons-'Medievil' released in 07'.
Great vocals, big guitars and massive epic power stuff!
 
Well, thier web and myspace has some new stuff up. Liking it more and more with each listen!:kickass:

Cheerz
 
Hot shit, how have I missed this topic!

Right now, as I type this, I got some Iced Earth - Horror Show blasting through my place :kickass:

Other bands I've been listing to a lot lately include:

Steel Attack - Carpe DiEnd
Balance of Power - Heathen Machine
Eternal Flight - Under the Sign of Will
Nocturnal Rites - The 8th Sin
Pyramaze (obviously) and
Iced Earth - I Walk Among You

and as a early christmas gift for all of you, I'll upload the two Nightmare Records sampler CD's for you to check out. There are a ton of great bands on both discs.
 
Liking Olympos Mons more and more with each listen. Like Mike K. says the right time change and melody is key! Olympos Mons nails it, 'Medievil' is epic as hell, nice production and heavy as hell. The best epic power band I have heard since Pyramaze.
They have a nice touch of battle / folk / metal as well.


BTW. Grabbing Ian Highhill ( Olym. Mons) as the new PYRA vocalist wouldn't be a bad thing. Though my first choice, forever would be Urban Breed, if Pyramaze ever got UB it would be a dream come true!
 
Autmn - Summer's End and My New Time
Dutch Gothic Metal which is not so gothic: fantastic vocals, brilliant riffing and spine shivering atmosphere...
 
Mostly I listen to my "big three" :p Evergrey, Pyramaze and Iced Earth.

Lately I've also been listening a lot to Amon Amarth (the first Death that I like) and Kiuas.
 
I mostly listen to three songs at the moment:

Year Of The Phoenix
Caramon's Poem
Bear Mountain

well, and many other songs of Pyramaze! :)

I loaded a lot new songs on my ipod, anything I could find from bands you recommended recently. I wanted to find out which bands are worth to be checked out in more detail. The trouble is, whatever song I listen to, it is not as good as the tunes of Pyramaze... Michael's songwriting is amazing and the other guys know how to join in! All the breaks, time changes, just everything seems to fit so easily... even when my ipod (it's set on shuffle) lets me listen to a song of Iced Earth I miss the power of the music! Though Matt is my favorite vocalist of all time, I like Pyramaze with Lance on vocals a little more than Iced Earth with Matt... because the songwriting is so awesome! So for me it can't get any better than Immortal, it all seems so tight. I can't wait to hear Toke's solos and the other new songs!

Once again: Thank you Pyramaze for bringing Matt back! :worship:
 
I've been listening to alotta nightwish lately.
I'm converting my friend from other music that must not be mentioned to metal, so I'm starting him off easy.
(Within temptation, nightwish, edenbridge; mostly alotta really melodic lighter metal bands[mostly chick vocals])