Controversial opinions on metal

[Cythraul]

ITNE is great but De Mysteriis, Transilvanian Hunger, and Hvis Lyset (or any of the first four Burzum albums really) are all better than it. Come to think of it, ITNE is better than Pure Holocaust but that's about it.

No, early Burzum (s/t, Aske, Det Som...) doesn't hold a candle to ITNE. There's nothing going on there compositionally that's any better or more interesting than what's going on in ITNE. Same goes for any Darkthrone album. Its only competitor is HLTO. I'm at least willing to admit that that album might be better. But I would love for somebody to actually explain how these other albums are better. I hear pretty much nothing going on in most of that other stuff that is anymore advanced or even as advanced as the material on ITNE. Seriously, Emperor always had loads more raw talent than other second wave Norwegian bands. That's why they ended up getting lost up their own asses later on, because they took it in the wrong direction. But ITNE is overflowing with awesome ideas.

Vikingligr Veldi is the album that INTE should have been.

That's absolutely absurd. There's nothing in the material on VV that even approaches the level of talent displayed on ITNE. Seriously, if you want to compare the two albums, then VV is, compositionally, a clumsier and more simplistic version of ITNE.

 

[Thoth-Amon]

No, early Burzum (s/t, Aske, Det Som...) doesn't hold a candle to ITNE. There's nothing going on there compositionally that's any better or more interesting than what's going on in ITNE. Same goes for any Darkthrone album. Its only competitor is HLTO. I'm at least willing to admit that that album might be better. But I would love for somebody to actually explain how these other albums are better. I hear pretty much nothing going on in most of that other stuff that is anymore advanced or even as advanced as the material on ITNE. Seriously, Emperor always had loads more raw talent than other second wave Norwegian bands. That's why they ended up getting lost up their own asses later on, because they took it in the wrong direction. But ITNE is overflowing with awesome ideas.



That's absolutely absurd. There's nothing in the material on VV that even approaches the level of talent displayed on ITNE. Seriously, if you want to compare the two albums, then VV is, compositionally, a clumsier and more simplistic version of ITNE.

pretty much agree all the way here. honestly I'm not sure there is a better BM album than ITNE. I think it could have been produced a tad better but otherwise its awesome.

 

[Mort Divine]

Perhaps not talent on a musical level, but I much prefer the songwriting on it. The compositions are more drawn out which allows me to get 'lost' in it much more easily.

 

[The Butt]

No, early Burzum (s/t, Aske, Det Som...) doesn't hold a candle to ITNE. There's nothing going on there compositionally that's any better or more interesting than what's going on in ITNE. Same goes for any Darkthrone album. Its only competitor is HLTO. I'm at least willing to admit that that album might be better. But I would love for somebody to actually explain how these other albums are better. I hear pretty much nothing going on in most of that other stuff that is anymore advanced or even as advanced as the material on ITNE. Seriously, Emperor always had loads more raw talent than other second wave Norwegian bands. That's why they ended up getting lost up their own asses later on, because they took it in the wrong direction. But ITNE is overflowing with awesome ideas.

I'm not saying ITNE's not amazing, I spin the thing often, there's tons of awesome, well-executed ideas on it. But despite being more compositionally complex, and despite Emperor's more adept instrumentalists, I just feel that ITNE falls short in comparison to the other BM albums of the time.

 

[Vossyrus]

Actually, one of my main criticisms of Enslaved is that I feel they are sometimes guilty of writing songs that can be too drawn out for their own good, lacking enough substance to sustain such lengths. I favour In the Nightside Eclipse over Vikingligr Veldi but I'm not sure I see the albums as being comparable to one another.

 

[Saparmurat_Niyazov]

When making a list of the best 2nd wave BM albums, I don't think albums like Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk and Filosofem should be excluded from the conversation. What drives me crazy are the people who consider those albums to be of poor quality.

 

[Mort Divine]

Anthems should absolutely be excluded, not Filosofem though.

 

[Vilden]

Filosofem is the best Burzum album imo so not sure who would exlude it, it's pretty much only the best Darkthrone albums that tops it imo.

 

[Onder]

Filosofem is the best Burzum album imo so not sure who would exlude it, it's pretty much only the best Darkthrone albums that tops it imo.

I agree that Filosofem is definitely better than HLTO.

 

[Astrum]

Anthems should absolutely be excluded, not Filosofem though.

no way! I strongly condemn any anthems hate. it's almost on par with ITNE imo. and Vikingligr Veldi is a sick album, but certainly inferior to both the above...

 

[Mort Divine]

Absolutely not.

 

[crimsonfloyd]

That's absolutely absurd. There's nothing in the material on VV that even approaches the level of talent displayed on ITNE. Seriously, if you want to compare the two albums, then VV is, compositionally, a clumsier and more simplistic version of ITNE.

I don't see how VV is a "version" of ITNE at all, or visa versa. They are very different albums by bands with different aesthetics and compositional styles. You have Viking vs. Satanic black metal. You have corelating compositions. Enslaved write big, sweeping epic songs that portray a noble force of their Viking ancestors. Emperor write works of controlled chaos, a depiction of the Satanic ideal.

Also, Enslaved have the whole 70's prog rock influence, which is absent from Emperor, while Emperor have an avant-garde dimension that is absent in early Enslaved.

 

[crimsonfloyd]

Anthems should absolutely be excluded, not Filosofem though.

I've never understood Anthems hate. Anthems and Nightside are very similar IMO, with Anthems getting the slight advantage for more intricate composition and sophisticated style.

But really, they're so similar I've never understood the Nightside preference.

 

[Zephyrus]

Anthems is a great album, but I exclude it from any conversation regarding 2nd-wave Norwegian BM.

 

[Tha Guy]

King Diamond fucking Sucks.


Megadeth isn't thrash.


Rap is just as good as Metal.


Mercyful Fate only released one good album, all the rest were utter shit.


The Black Album is a good album.


Slayer's God Hates us All isn't bad, just different.


Kamelot is somewhat good.


Van Halen is a terrible Guitar Player.


I have no more. I don't think, at least.

 

[mutantllama]

A Blaze in the Northern Sky is what I consider to be the best 2nd wave album and I will say why when I'm not shoving food in my mouth

 

[The Emptier]

Megadeth isn't thrash.


Rap is just as good as Metal.


The Black Album is a good album.


Slayer's God Hates us All isn't bad, just different.


Kamelot is somewhat good.


Van Halen is a terrible Guitar Player.


I have no more. I don't think, at least.

wut?

No.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

NO.

 

[Tha Guy]

wut?

No.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

NO.

My opinion.


If you don't agree, I don't give a fuck.

 

[waif]

I think my real problem with Anthems is that (based on several cursory listens because I couldn't pay attention to it for more than 30 seconds) the production makes it sound like a wall of noise. The blasts tend to drown out stuff, and they switched from the epic synth sound on ITNE to a more orchestral sound that really does nothing for me. The album overall is too intense, both in production and in songwriting, and the end result is that nothing sticks with me. I've only listened a few times, but said times leave me with no desire to listen more.

I think IX Equilibrium is somewhat overlooked. Not a great album, and fairly unambitious, but it has some really cool songs and it's more varied and creative than the first two.

I'll also say that I enjoy Prometheus, which is weird because it has a lot of the same flaws as ITNE and quite a few of its own, but I do dig it for some reason. Also, the solo in The Eruption is fucking nuts.

 

[Blind Guardian]

I think IX Equilibrium is somewhat overlooked. Not a great album, and fairly unambitious, but it has some really cool songs and it's more varied and creative than the first two.

I can totally understand why so many people hate this album. If you consider the compositional potential Emperor showed with ITNE, this - i.e favoring technicality instead of songwriting - was really the wrong way to go. However I still fucking like it in its own right at least, because the masturbation that is there tends to be really awesome. An Elegy of Icaros builds amazing riff after amazing riff on each other for almost seven minutes.