NFU
I like pie.
"whiny" is no less valid than "angst" which is what metal is. again...this is about preferences, not being right or wrong. i simply feel youre not giving them a good enough chance.
Best of 2006 so far
- Thread starter Risquit
- Start date
"whiny" is no less valid than "angst" which is what metal is. again...this is about preferences, not being right or wrong. i simply feel youre not giving them a good enough chance.
NFU
I like pie.
i agree entirely. burst is a band that fits the description most people try to hype mastadon up to.
keep in mind i like mastadon for what they are. but theyre certainly not setting the world on fire as much as many here would have you beleive.
Scourge of Malice
Member
Yes, they rule.
And Blood Mountain is a pretty fantastic metal album IMO. Better than most these days (IMO).
Liquid Diamonds
Member
I like Mastodon's drummer. He does some interesting stuff, at least to my ears.
'Blood Mountain', IMO, is an improvement on their previous works. And I would say it's good. I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it very often, but it's not bad at all. Just not... stellar.
And I'm still not really feeling the vox...
'Blood Mountain', IMO, is an improvement on their previous works. And I would say it's good. I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it very often, but it's not bad at all. Just not... stellar.
And I'm still not really feeling the vox...
I didn't mean to give the impression that I don't like Mastodon, but that I'm not a fan. I agree about the drumming. Maybe the best part of the band on the 2 discs I have (Lifesblood and Remission). I feel about them like I do about Ephel Duath, actually. Interesting for a while, but I am only interested for a few songs and then I want to listen to something different.
Sadguru
In my dream...
S<issors
wins.
- Jan 16, 2007
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Metal really isn't based off of angst at all... sure, bands like Disturbed feed off those kind of emotions, but in general metal is much less one-dimensional than emo rock. Emo is based in simple power-riffs, high pitched vocals (some screaming in "screamo") and themes of sadness/loneliness/alienation/loss. That's what makes it "emo" rather than just "alternative rock."
Metal, on the other hand, has dozens of very different subdivisions- prog, death, thrash, all that stuff. Bands like Metallica are all about angst. Dream Theater, on the other hand, has themes ranging from alcoholism to religion to the death of a loved one. Even Mastodon clearly isn't rooted in angst. They play songs about whales and psychic one-eyed sasquatches.
Edit: Metallica isn't ALL about angst. Just angsty.
The Poona of Peshwa
Blood Glutton
S<issors
wins.
- Jan 16, 2007
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Ha, yes, that's an awesome summary of the band! I think I'm gonna quote you on that.
But yeah, Opeth actually manages to convey some genuinely powerful emotions. Emo has more of a "my highschool girlfriend dumped me for another chick after one month of deep soul-bonding, so now I'm going to sing about alcohol and suicide, and maybe take some advil or something" thing going on. It just oozes a sense of suburban shallowness. I really can't stand the stuff
progmetaldan
Member
Symphony X sing about knights and dragons and medievalness and mythology. They're progmetal. Actually so do about 99% of power metal bands... Symphony X use metaphors as well, that makes them prog.
prog = metaphors...
prog = metaphors...
gabaghoul
Anus, Slayer of the Gods
from my year-end reviews:
top 10, the year in metal. and this was a great year, 'cause no matter how often I think I'm hearing the same old things over and over (even in the deep dark underground), bands evolve, get inspired, and make some art. loud, vicious, soaring art.
10. Arsis - United in Regret. Not quite the amazing tour-de-force of their debut, but still a mean, sleek, ripping piece of melodic death. American-made, too. And not a single breakdown or clean vocal in sight.
9. Mastodon - Blood Mountain. Gotta give it up for sheer technical prowess and composition - and balls too, injecting so much prog into a band that once lumbered and crushed like a, well, you know. Almost a little too much, though - after the initial dazzle wears off, you realize that some tracks are impressive, but they don't bring you back for endless repeated listens. Still, these boys can play.
8. In Flames - Come Clarity. In Flames was one of the first melodic death bands to cross over and use clean vocals to create engaging, albeit poppy, choruses in their songs. However, they also took the experimentation too far - and in the wrong direction - by going all nu-metal on their last two discs. Luckily, they've found some equilibrium again with this one. And sure, it's still clearly engineered for mainstream success, but you can't deny the addictive, easy (if familiar) thrill of tracks like Vacuum, Pacing Death's Trail or Crawl Through Knives. They may never do another folksy Jester Race ever again, but I still kept playing this consolation prize over and over.
7. Insomnium - Above the Weeping World. I still miss the dynamics and Opethian acoustic passages of the previous album, but this one is still suffused with rich atmosphere, melody and an understated grandeur. Great, great band.
6. Lamb of God - Sacrament. More produced, more popular, but still every bit as relentless. The more prevalent hardcore choruses weren't my favorite, but the epic, darker menace on some tracks was a great evolution. And still one of the best live bands on the planet.
5. Slumber - Fallout. Released last year, but screw it, I didn't get it until this year. Hauntingly beautiful, soaring Finnish melodic doom/death, at once thunderous and fragile. Not a sunshine record, but that didn't stop me from playing the hell out of it.
4. Scar Symmetry - Pitch. Black. Progress. And speaking of playing the hell out of something, how many times did I listen to Retaliator this year just to hear those OMG-back-that-up-again solos? And sure, other bands have mixed clean and growled vocals with melodic death and power/prog, but never like this, never this brutal, and never with such jaw-dropping technical fireworks. Coolest melodic death band on the planet, for my money.
3. Gorod - Leading Vision. Technical death/grind may be incredibly difficult to play, but it frequently seems too easy to write something that's showy but not satisfying, or seemingly chaotic just for the hell of it. (Theory in Practice, Cephalic Carnage, ahem.) Not these guys - there's a lot going on, but these songs are so groovy and focused that it's easy to pay attention throughout. Not for everyone, of course, but a pure pleasure if this is your thing.
2. Enslaved - Ruun. Never cared much for early Enslaved beyond Vikingligr Veldi; too chaotic, too amelodic, with not enough of their contemporaries' (Emperor, Satyricon, Burzum) majesty. But now I can safely call these guys the Pink Floyd of black metal, and that is a great, great thing. Epic, mysterious, gorgeous and still retaining that uniquely alien, Norweigan vibe - if I wanted a transportive, evocative metal experience this year, I continually reached for Ruun. And any metal band that also uses a Hammond organ gets my instant approval. Can't wait to see these guys in a few weeks.
1. Burst - Origo. For someone who mostly sticks with black, death, and the like, it's funny that a post-hardcore album has spent so much time in my player this year. But that's the genius of this album - it's angular and protean all at once, it's got the emotional impact and atmosphere of the best progressive death - not to mention progressive rock - and it's not afraid to flirt with jazzy, subtle textures or moods either. Many bands try to ape Opeth's dynamics but here's one that actually pays them tribute while keeping their own voice intact.
top 10, the year in metal. and this was a great year, 'cause no matter how often I think I'm hearing the same old things over and over (even in the deep dark underground), bands evolve, get inspired, and make some art. loud, vicious, soaring art.
10. Arsis - United in Regret. Not quite the amazing tour-de-force of their debut, but still a mean, sleek, ripping piece of melodic death. American-made, too. And not a single breakdown or clean vocal in sight.
9. Mastodon - Blood Mountain. Gotta give it up for sheer technical prowess and composition - and balls too, injecting so much prog into a band that once lumbered and crushed like a, well, you know. Almost a little too much, though - after the initial dazzle wears off, you realize that some tracks are impressive, but they don't bring you back for endless repeated listens. Still, these boys can play.
8. In Flames - Come Clarity. In Flames was one of the first melodic death bands to cross over and use clean vocals to create engaging, albeit poppy, choruses in their songs. However, they also took the experimentation too far - and in the wrong direction - by going all nu-metal on their last two discs. Luckily, they've found some equilibrium again with this one. And sure, it's still clearly engineered for mainstream success, but you can't deny the addictive, easy (if familiar) thrill of tracks like Vacuum, Pacing Death's Trail or Crawl Through Knives. They may never do another folksy Jester Race ever again, but I still kept playing this consolation prize over and over.
7. Insomnium - Above the Weeping World. I still miss the dynamics and Opethian acoustic passages of the previous album, but this one is still suffused with rich atmosphere, melody and an understated grandeur. Great, great band.
6. Lamb of God - Sacrament. More produced, more popular, but still every bit as relentless. The more prevalent hardcore choruses weren't my favorite, but the epic, darker menace on some tracks was a great evolution. And still one of the best live bands on the planet.
5. Slumber - Fallout. Released last year, but screw it, I didn't get it until this year. Hauntingly beautiful, soaring Finnish melodic doom/death, at once thunderous and fragile. Not a sunshine record, but that didn't stop me from playing the hell out of it.
4. Scar Symmetry - Pitch. Black. Progress. And speaking of playing the hell out of something, how many times did I listen to Retaliator this year just to hear those OMG-back-that-up-again solos? And sure, other bands have mixed clean and growled vocals with melodic death and power/prog, but never like this, never this brutal, and never with such jaw-dropping technical fireworks. Coolest melodic death band on the planet, for my money.
3. Gorod - Leading Vision. Technical death/grind may be incredibly difficult to play, but it frequently seems too easy to write something that's showy but not satisfying, or seemingly chaotic just for the hell of it. (Theory in Practice, Cephalic Carnage, ahem.) Not these guys - there's a lot going on, but these songs are so groovy and focused that it's easy to pay attention throughout. Not for everyone, of course, but a pure pleasure if this is your thing.
2. Enslaved - Ruun. Never cared much for early Enslaved beyond Vikingligr Veldi; too chaotic, too amelodic, with not enough of their contemporaries' (Emperor, Satyricon, Burzum) majesty. But now I can safely call these guys the Pink Floyd of black metal, and that is a great, great thing. Epic, mysterious, gorgeous and still retaining that uniquely alien, Norweigan vibe - if I wanted a transportive, evocative metal experience this year, I continually reached for Ruun. And any metal band that also uses a Hammond organ gets my instant approval. Can't wait to see these guys in a few weeks.
1. Burst - Origo. For someone who mostly sticks with black, death, and the like, it's funny that a post-hardcore album has spent so much time in my player this year. But that's the genius of this album - it's angular and protean all at once, it's got the emotional impact and atmosphere of the best progressive death - not to mention progressive rock - and it's not afraid to flirt with jazzy, subtle textures or moods either. Many bands try to ape Opeth's dynamics but here's one that actually pays them tribute while keeping their own voice intact.
NFU
I like pie.
Ha, yes, that's an awesome summary of the band! I think I'm gonna quote you on that.
But yeah, Opeth actually manages to convey some genuinely powerful emotions. Emo has more of a "my highschool girlfriend dumped me for another chick after one month of deep soul-bonding, so now I'm going to sing about alcohol and suicide, and maybe take some advil or something" thing going on. It just oozes a sense of suburban shallowness. I really can't stand the stuff
you are SERIOUSLY over-generalizing for the emo/indie genre...and completely overstating for the metal genre. theres buckets of shit emo/indie bands. but theres also buckets of shit metal bands who dont have a single powerful/profound/emotional bone in their body, and theyre simply writing metal because theyre a bunch of meat headed wannabe tough guys.
both genres have their cut above the rest, and the musically/inspirationally sound and promising. thats all this comes down to as i stated before...your personal preferences here. but your persistance does show your ignorance in this case. which is also fine, i cant get too entirely worried about it.
RedinTheSky
Member
We would all die waiting for a band of Opeth's caliber to come out of emo.
No offense. It is all personal preference... and I prefer a higher level of musical talent.
No offense. It is all personal preference... and I prefer a higher level of musical talent.
NFU
I like pie.
why is Opeth the standard of comparison for everything to metal noobs? i dont really understand. theres already handfuls of metal bands better than Opeth. and secondly, i dont need to compare every band from another genre with Opeth anyway. Ive been an Opeth fan for about 8 years now, trust me...the magic and mystique has long since passed. theyre good, but far from being my "end all, be all". At this rate, a band like Burst is much more multi dimensional and interesting to me. A lot more going on there than "heavy, growl, sing, acoustic, heavy, growl, sing, acoustic, keyboard interlude, heavy, growl, sing, acoustic." Opeth continues to play it safe all the time. I dont look for that in "progressive" music.
NFU
I like pie.
and for the record, theres plenty of musicians in that genre who are just as musically proficient as Opeth, if not more so.
im beginning to think the extent of everyones knowledge of said genre here is MTV2.
RedinTheSky
Member
I wasn't saying Opeth is the best band ever..... which they might be even though Morningrise is their best Imo.... I was just saying I don't like emo, because I like the instrumentation in the songs I listen to to be good.
I've listened to hundreds of metal albums over the years, am far from a noob, and all I look for when I disagree on a forum like this is a good reccomendation.
That being said, I highly doubt Burst is an emo band since you are comparing them to Opeth, and either way, I'm going to check them out.
I've listened to hundreds of metal albums over the years, am far from a noob, and all I look for when I disagree on a forum like this is a good reccomendation.
That being said, I highly doubt Burst is an emo band since you are comparing them to Opeth, and either way, I'm going to check them out.
RedinTheSky
Member
A. It is hard to measure talent across genres of music. Therefore I ask you to recommend a band that plays in an at least vaguely similar style but is better than Opeth.
B. I didn't like MTV 15 years ago, and I don't like it now.
NFU
I like pie.
first of all, we need to get on the same page. i dont really listen to "EMO" bands. thats just what most ignorant people tag post-rock/hardcore/indie bands most of the time because theyre too lazy to get the facts straight. Burst is a post-hardcore band, not necessarily a metal band. however their approach to music is comprable to what Opeth does in my eyes. as for other bands....the mars volta, between the buried and me, and the fall of troy would be 3 excellent examples of bands lumped in with the so called "emo" bands despite not being so due to the style of vocals often used, but definitely excell musically in any respect.
NFU
I like pie.
and for the record, i wasn't claiming you liked MTV...but simply that your knowledge and understanding of non-metal genres appears to be limited to your exposure of what you would see on MTV2 or maybe a local radio station. i was simply illustrating the ignorance it would take to hold heavy metal music as the highest order of musicality and art.
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