Albums with atmosphere/imagery

[saut]

There's some really cool stuff in this thread. I second the mentions of Ulver's Kveldssanger and Bergtatt, as well as Aggaloch's The Mantle.

Tool's Lateralus always made me picture myself on a grassy hilltop, watching the stars.

 

[Don Corleone]

talking about atmosphere? you need to check out more art rock...bands like godspeed you! black emperor or mogwai.

cheers

 

[Satim]

Tons of great stuff mentioned in this thread so far. I've been looking for stuff like this lately myself so I'll have to check out some of these recommendations.

In addition I would highly recommend checking out:

Tenhi - Tenhi's "Kauan" is probably my favorite album ever for imagery and atmosphere. The cover is a murky picture of a fog shrouded lake surrounded by a forest. Everytime I play this album I drift away to that eerie lakeside forest. I guess I would call the genre "dark folk". Mostly acoustic guitars, violin, piano, flutes, and very melancholic vocals.

Empyrium - Similar forest atmosphere to Tenhi and Ulver's Kveldssanger especially on the album "Weiland". The entire album just feels like spending a night completely lost in dark woods with only the light of a full moon guiding you. Just an unreal atmosphere. This would be another "dark folk" band though I believe their earlier albums incorporated some black metal elements.

Harmaa - A sideproject by the members of Tenhi. Very similar to Tenhi's music, especially their stuff on "Kauan" except that its completely piano driven. Another "dark folk" band.

Negura Bunget - I'm only familiar with the album "'N Crugu Bradului" but this album is very atmospheric dark "forest" black metal. I guess the closest thing I could compare it to is Emperor's "Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk" though it's still very different from that album. There are parts on this album that sound like they were recorded in the middle of some vast Romanian valley.

There are a lot more I could mention but I'll just toss out some band names...
Agalloch
Nest
Emperor (especially Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk)
Nile (middle eastern atmosphere)
Orphaned Land (middle eastern atmosphere)
Karl Sanders (mastermind behind Nile - check out his middle eastern ambient solo album)
Devin Townsend (especially Terria and Ocean Machine)
Shape Of Despair
Amorphis (especially Tales From the Thousand Lakes and Tuonela)

Also, just about any funeral doom metal has a ton of atmosphere and imagery... Try www.doom-metal.com if you're interested, its gotta be the most authoratative resource when it comes to learning about doom metal.

 

[cthulufhtagn]

Interesting, I always pictured it in a snowy area because I recall some of the sound effects (esp on "The Lodge") reminded me of walking on snow and chopping wood. But I guess the cool thing is that the music can "speak" in different ways to differernt people, much like you can find many different ways to interpret a painting.

yeah i thought about that, but i think i would see it in a way as....the album's sort of a descent into darkness, into winter, maybe it's the first snow of the season? by the end, the last 2 songs especially, i definitely picture sitting alone in a cabin by a fire, with the wind howling outside

@don corleone: i've actually been meaning to check out godspeed you black emperor, anything of theirs you can recommend to me?

p.s. great thread

 

[Nico]

Negura Bunget - I'm only familiar with the album "'N Crugu Bradului" but this album is very atmospheric dark "forest" black metal.

This is an utterly fantastic album. I'm only starting to absorb it.




Also, someone mentioned viking longboats. That reminds me, I forgot:

Bathory - Hammerheart

 

[saut]

talking about atmosphere? you need to check out more art rock...bands like godspeed you! black emperor or mogwai.

cheers

Oh lord how could I forgot Godspeed! The imagery I get from #infinity# (whatever) is very vivid. It has a very bleak, "post-apocalyptic" kinda feel to it. ESPECIALLY the first song on the album, with the spoken word prologue.

The car's on fire and there's no driver at the wheel
And the sewers are all muddied with a thousand lonely suicides
And a dark wind blows
The government is corrupt
And we're on so many drugs
With the radio on and the curtains drawn

We're trapped in the belly of this horrible machine
And the machine is bleeding to death

The sun has fallen down
And the billboards are all leering
And the flags are all dead at the top of their poles

It went like this

The buildings tumbled in on themselves
Mothers clutching babies picked through the rubble and pulled out their hair

The skyline was beautiful on fire
All twisted metal stretching upwards
Everything washed in a thin orange haze

I said, "Kiss me, you're beautiful..
These are truly the last days"

You grabbed my hand and we fell into it
Like a daydream or a fever

We woke up one morning and fell a little further down
For sure it's the valley of death

I open up my wallet
And it's full of blood

Yeah, I'm gonna have to go listen to that now.

 

[Luz]

...Didn't we have a similar thread a couple of moths ago?

Try with The Third and the Mortal or Ulver I don't remember the names of that records.

 

[[KOTNO]Narrot]

godspeed are post rock tho...

 

[Nico]

The new Primordial album "The Gathering Wilderness" makes me think of the rolling hills of Ireland, shitty weather and warm pubs. I also get the distinct impression that the English are all bastards.

 

[cthulufhtagn]

Also, someone mentioned viking longboats. That reminds me, I forgot:

Bathory - Hammerheart

v

 

[Nico]

One Rode to Asa Bay sends shivers down my spine.

BUY OR DIE!

 

[Dreadful]

Bathory - Hammerheart is absolutely # 1 on my list. It's fantastic how Bathory (Qourthon) captured and consistantly kept such an atmosphere and trademark sound to compliment the songs. Most notably the 3rd, 4th and 5th Bathory albums. The signature ocean/viking ship like elements backing the riffs, including those outros to all the albums...there still is just nothing like those. Everytime I put in Hammerheart and start "shores in flames"...I feel like I'm on some beach or bay at night listening to Bathory perform at some club. The albums always remind of the one summer when I was real obsessed with Bathory buying those albums, also the summer in which I went boating alot on Mission bay in san diego, and was real in love with some chick that I could never have...haha. I'm getting carried away, Bathory's 80s material includding 91's Twilight of the Gods will always rank extremely high on my "most essential music list." For any of you willing to listen to Bathory...I suggest you listen to the first 6 albums in order. If you're lazy, then start from Under the sign to Hammerheart...try it stoned at least. It's a journey.

Summoning - Stronghold or Let Mortal Heroes Sing your Fame
Hypocrisy - Hypocrisy
Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse
Ulver - Bergtatt
Agathodaimon - Blacken the Angel (mainly for the first track "Tristetea Vehementa)
Opeth - Orchid
Disincarnate - Dreams of the Carrion Kind (yes, really...it's not atmospheric but kinda melodic...there's this hidden atmosphere deep within your conscience while listening to it and it comes out during the last track)
King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Genesis - Selling England by the Pound
Nevermore - Dreaming Neon Black

...these have been atmospheric for me in a sense that I'm real intoxicated and taken by the album. Paints a nice and/or depressing picture. It's alot of emotion and I've basically enjoyed these the most, even though many other albums are truly more "atmospheric" in the literal sense.

 

[Nico]

Summoning are true masters of epic atmospheres.

Also, you've heard Morrigan, right?

 

[FUBAR]

I heard an Ulver album was recorded in a forest anyone know which one?...album i mean not forest

 

[Nico]

Nattens Madrigal. It's a fucking chore to listen to, but there's some great stuff on it.

 

[FUBAR]

A chore, I take it is very un-accesible then. Can you tell they are in a forest can you hear lots of cools sounds and stuff

 

[sknight]

Tristania- Beyond the Veil
Pain of Salvation- The Perfect Element

 

[Dreadful]

I have not heard Morrigan up until you mentioned them, but I just now went on soulseek and started downloading "Plague, waste and death." It's cool that you enjoy black metal as well as death metal of sorts because alot of my friends are just "jean" type of guys when it comes to metal. Basically only death, thrash, classic...which is totally fine as we all have tastes. They all have their selective bands like summoning, dissection, dark throne...but nothing too into black metal territory. I mean come on...who in the hell could say something like Summoning sucks when you're stoned out of your mind? sober even

 

[[KOTNO]Narrot]

A chore, I take it is very un-accesible then. Can you tell they are in a forest can you hear lots of cools sounds and stuff

what sounds do you expect?

 

[FUBAR]

what sounds do you expect?

Your quite right, although I haven't really heard much Ulver except for their mellow-ish stuff