Controversial opinions on metal

[mutantllama]

Pretty much every genre of metal has its share of amazing stuff and complete shit.

 

[Zephyrus]

Any popular art form, really.

 

[The Butt]

I still feel confident that 99.99% of everything derived from Burzum and Beherit is worthless, however.

6.

 

[Bitencourt29]

Cannibal Corpse > Deicide

Agreed. I like both bands though.

I'm sure this is somewhat controversial, amongst fans at least. While listening to Gorgoroth the other day I was reminded that Twilight of the Idols is their best album. I thought so when it first came out and I still think so today.

Pentagram for me. The last one is also very good, better than Twilight of the Idols imo.

I still feel confident that 99.99% of everything derived from Burzum and Beherit is worthless, however.

Oh, dear...

 

[Kara-Shehr]

I'm sure this is somewhat controversial, amongst fans at least. While listening to Gorgoroth the other day I was reminded that Twilight of the Idols is their best album. I thought so when it first came out and I still think so today.

That IS a good album and Ghaal era Gorgoroth doesn't get enough love but I have to disagree with it being their best. I would personally go with Under the Sign of Hell.

Seconded. And I still insist that Cannibal Corpse and Deicide are both better than pretty much every slam band.

3x and agreed. But I have to ask where all this brutal slam hate is coming from. I don't like the genre either, I'm just curious. Because you've been mad hating on it lately.

 

[Der Morgenstern]

It's applicable to black metal, but he needs to remove a significant figure or two to apply it to the other two (at which point it would be applicable for all sub-genres of metal).

 

[Talking Backwards]

Pretty much every genre of metal has its share of amazing stuff and complete shit.

Yes, but it seems like both Death and Black have been over saturated genres for the last 12 or so years and still growing exponentially.

The main problem with these bands too isn't even their music (although often "hey, dunno what to write here, so just add another blast beat" happens...), it's that more often than not the vocalists have no discernable identity from one another. Even if you can't understand what they are saying, or the shrieks or growls grate on the nerves, they don't even make an attempt to add some kind of harmony or good vocal phrasing. That's not to say all of them are like this, because that's not true--but there are just soo many out there right now that sound just like one another, that it's very hard to find the wheat to seperate from the chaff.

Screaming just to sound like a madman, or growling out for ten measures does not equate to emotion or music, it's just noise on top of music.

Bands that actually do the vocals right: Covenant (Nexus Polaris), Dimmu Borgir, Opeth (Akerfedlt has the best growls period), Ihsahn, At The Gates, Dark Tranquility, Carcass, Lamb of God, Centarus A, Melechesh, Orphaned Land etc.

And yeah, Power Metal (flower metal) has been suffering a similar issue with identity since the late 90's. I enjoy that genre immensely, yet I cannot stand the majority of the music that's been put out over the last fifteen years. Blind Guardian is one of the few bombastic bands I can stand, and I can't listen to them non stop.

 

[Saparmurat_Niyazov]

3x and agreed. But I have to ask where all this brutal slam hate is coming from. I don't like the genre either, I'm just curious. Because you've been mad hating on it lately.

It's my reaction to the slobbering homoerotic love for it as of late. I gave in to the hype and really tried to get into the genre, and found little of value. Not that there are zero good slam death bands, but the vast majority of it is just not listenable.

 

[Avigrus]

Vomit the Soul are quite good.

 

[Raevenge]

Yes, but it seems like both Death and Black have been over saturated genres for the last 12 or so years and still growing exponentially.

The main problem with these bands too isn't even their music (although often "hey, dunno what to write here, so just add another blast beat" happens...), it's that more often than not the vocalists have no discernable identity from one another. Even if you can't understand what they are saying, or the shrieks or growls grate on the nerves, they don't even make an attempt to add some kind of harmony or good vocal phrasing. That's not to say all of them are like this, because that's not true--but there are just soo many out there right now that sound just like one another, that it's very hard to find the wheat to seperate from the chaff.

Screaming just to sound like a madman, or growling out for ten measures does not equate to emotion or music, it's just noise on top of music.

Well said. A lot of people think of metal as 'just noise' and for the most part, they're not wrong. I think a lot of the bands that Sdrawkcabgniklat described are just that. When it comes to any music, I look for quality. It takes talent and skill to write and perform music that makes the cut above 'noise.'

I'm damn picky when it comes to metal - if it doesn't sound epic to me, it's not worth my time. A song has about 20 seconds to get my attention so the songwriters better be make it worth hearing from the first few seconds. If it sounds generic or copy-cat, I'm not going to waste more time on it. Get my attention or GTFO.

You have to wade through a lot of shitty music to find the good, but it is worth searching for. I think that 99.99% that someone said earlier is a bit exaggerated unless that person is as picky as I am. I think that probably 75% of them suck; 20% is mediocre to good and 5% falls into what I consider epic. All just my opinion maybe, but as I don't have a lot of time to waste, I want my time well spent on that 5%.

 

[The Emptier]

I would say I'm not entirely controversial in my opinions, but I fucking hate Amon Amarth. They were cool when I was 12, but every fucking album and song is the same, they rip themselves off, and they have absolutely no diversity. Worst concert of my life was watching them headline

 

[sevag00]

By saying that 99.99% sucks I am admitting that there is a 0.01% of bands which I have found to enjoy. It is just that I happen to dislike the vast majority of black/death/power metal.

I even try giving the odd band from those genres a listen to see if I end up liking them, like I did with Obscura's Omnivium given all the hype surrounding it, and I just didn't like it.

I doubt you have even heard 10% of the bands in those genres.

 

[Kreated]

Yes, but it seems like both Death and Black have been over saturated genres for the last 12 or so years and still growing exponentially.

The main problem with these bands too isn't even their music (although often "hey, dunno what to write here, so just add another blast beat" happens...), it's that more often than not the vocalists have no discernable identity from one another. Even if you can't understand what they are saying, or the shrieks or growls grate on the nerves, they don't even make an attempt to add some kind of harmony or good vocal phrasing. That's not to say all of them are like this, because that's not true--but there are just soo many out there right now that sound just like one another, that it's very hard to find the wheat to seperate from the chaff.

Screaming just to sound like a madman, or growling out for ten measures does not equate to emotion or music, it's just noise on top of music.

Bands that actually do the vocals right: Covenant (Nexus Polaris), Dimmu Borgir, Opeth (Akerfedlt has the best growls period), Ihsahn, At The Gates, Dark Tranquility, Carcass, Lamb of God, Centarus A, Melechesh, Orphaned Land etc.

This is true. Personally I think that Abbath has some of the most distinct and awesome vocal styles.

Well said. A lot of people think of metal as 'just noise' and for the most part, they're not wrong

Yes they are. It's not metal that's noise, it's bad metal bands that are. Bad bands can't be used to define a genre even if they represent a majority

A song has about 20 seconds to get my attention so the songwriters better be make it worth hearing from the first few seconds

How can you possibly enjoy any raw black metal after listening to it for just 20 seconds? Some songs take 3 or more full listens before you can understand their flow

 

[HamburgerBoy]

I doubt you have even heard 10% of the bands in those genres.

Doesn't matter when the first 10% one will hear of a given genre will encapsulate the best 10% fairly well. Unless, of course, one is the child of the operator of thethrashmetalguide.com and is forced to listen to 1994 Bulgarian thrash debuts prior to Master of Puppets.

 

[The Butt]

Lots of fucking faggotry in this thread all of a sudden.

 

[The Emptier]

Lots of fucking faggotry in this thread all of a sudden.

wut

 

[Talking Backwards]

Not really music related, but why do so many Black metal bands have to wear almost the EXACT same style of white and black "corpse paint"? Almost all of them look like derivates of early Mercyful Fate King Diamond. He wasn't the first to wear it either (one of the first though), but he was with that particular look.

It's almost a parody of itself and becoming as bad as all of the glam bands of the 80's.

This is true. Personally I think that Abbath has some of the most distinct and awesome vocal styles.

He's definitely a lot less annoying than a lot of black "vocalists". Doesn't hurt that Immortal are pretty good musicians as well, although I can't help but think of Dimmu Borgir a bit (not really a negative).

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Not really music related, but why do so many Black metal bands have to wear almost the EXACT same style of white and black "corpse paint"? Almost all of them look like derivates of early Mercyful Fate King Diamond. He wasn't the first to wear it either (one of the first though), but he was with that particular look.

Because black metal is more an image than a musical genre, which is why "first-wave black metal" and "'black' metal" exist.

 

[Vossyrus]

Not really music related, but why do so many Black metal bands have to wear almost the EXACT same style of white and black "corpse paint"? Almost all of them look like derivates of early Mercyful Fate King Diamond. He wasn't the first to wear it either (one of the first though), but he was with that particular look.

It's almost a parody of itself and becoming as bad as all of the glam bands of the 80's.

Is it still 1995 or something?

If anything I feel that there are less bands keen wearing corpse paint these days. I really don't have a problem either way. It's like a tradition to wear corpse paint. But perhaps you should write to all these black metal bands and tell them to hire personal, professional makeup artists so that their faces are more aesthetically pleasing to you.

 

[TechnicalBarbarity]

Because black metal is more an image than a musical genre, which is why "first-wave black metal" and "'black' metal" exist.

... whats your facepalm count at again?