Do you need your fix?

[Yippee38]

Noted and added.

Reading through the tread I notice a few people prefer to stick with familiar artists. I have to note that I don't even buy blind releases from familar bands. Some of the most disappointing CD's I have are followups to previously brilliant albums, or usually consistant established favorite bands.

LOL. (emphasis added)

BTW, thanks Zod. I haven't listened to that album in ages either. Fixing that now. (Didn't read the other thread all the way through.)

 

[Jibrille]

I'm actually afflicted with a bit of the opposite, I spend so much time listening to the music I love I rarely bother trying to discover anything new.

Yeah, I have that issue too.. But usually I've bought 5 CDs at the same time and only get consumed by 1 for a long period. The other 4 collect dust until I finally give them their fair chance a year+ later.

 

[rockyracoon]

Typically, most "new" material I get into isnt even recent releases, but rather older material I am being turned onto. I certainly won't ever be naive enough to think I've heard it all, so there's always old material that's "new" to me out there.

Of course, that doesnt mean I don't search for more current "great discs." But when there's a lull in that department, I always do resort back to the old standby's.


And Zod, correct me if I'm wrong but doesnt James Labrie appear briefly on Parallels?

 

[Magius]

LOL. (emphasis added)

Heh. Cute. Guilty as charged. But mind you I don't object to the use of those words when they're applicable. Case in point: Operation Mindcrime... brilliant. The followup, OM II... meh.

 

[Dark One]

While reading through the "What is the best CD of all time?" thread, I came across DT Jesus' post about Fate's Warning's "Parallels" and his comment about it being an disc without flaw. It occurred to me that I hadn't spun it in forever. So, before I left for work, I ripped it to my iPod. It blew me away... again. It also made me wonder...

Clearly the internet has been integral to Metal's survival. The ability to find new music, read reviews, and get recommendations from Metal fans from all over this spinning sphere, has kept this genre on life support while it regained its strength. However, I find that I'm spending more time looking for great music than actually listening great music. I've listened to hundreds and hundreds of CDs this year, endlessly searching for the next great disc. And it occurs to me, I spend at least as much time listening to music I hate, as I do listening to music I love. Am I alone? Or are others afflicted with this condition?

Zod

I absolutely have fallen victim to this on numerous occasions. You recall that discussion I started before about knowing a release is great and just wanting someone who posseses it to realize it rather than continuing to search for the next thing they haven't heard yet? It was 100% based on the philosophy you pose above.

In a time when it was becoming more prudent for me to actually listen to my collection rather than obsess over continuing to grow my collection, rediscovering gems long since past has been just as much fun. I've rekindled my love for Virgin Steele, Iced Earth, Angel Dust, Ayreon, Rage, Waylander, Falkenbach, Negura Bunget, early Riot, Skyclad, Root, Arcturus and Sentenced all within the past few months. It's ironically been one of the most productive eras in my life musically by simply going back and digesting what I've already eaten the right way (in 26 bites rather than 3 bites, swallowing and moving on).

Jason

 

[FatesFan]

While reading through the "What is the best CD of all time?" thread, I came across DT Jesus' post about Fate's Warning's "Parallels" and his comment about it being an disc without flaw. It occurred to me that I hadn't spun it in forever. So, before I left for work, I ripped it to my iPod. It blew me away... again. It also made me wonder...

Clearly the internet has been integral to Metal's survival. The ability to find new music, read reviews, and get recommendations from Metal fans from all over this spinning sphere, has kept this genre on life support while it regained its strength. However, I find that I'm spending more time looking for great music than actually listening great music. I've listened to hundreds and hundreds of CDs this year, endlessly searching for the next great disc. And it occurs to me, I spend at least as much time listening to music I hate, as I do listening to music I love. Am I alone? Or are others afflicted with this condition?

Zod

Dude, this is me spot on!

 

[Metalhed]

As the 90's closed, and the new decade came up, I had lost track of metal. I would grab the annual Maiden album, but I had little idea of many of the bands that were available because none were marketed and most were overseas. Aound 2003, I found www.metal-rules.com and that all changed. Through the forums, I was beginning to discover that the style of music I liked (metal) was far from dead and quite booming.

I spent a great deal of time soaking up the message board there learning who some of the existing metal bands were. Then the credit card came out and it has been out ever since.

Between the boards on this site, www.bravewords.com, www.metal-rules.com and other metal review sites, not to mention BW&BK magazine, I have a constant supply of new music to sample. Once I find what I like, I have The End Records, CD Inzane, Laser CD, Sentinel Steel and others to order and purchase what I want.

I order alot based on user reviews on these sites. On the 1st of every month, Metal Rules puts up it's monthly reviews. That always leads to 3 or 4 new CD's. Once a month I will cruise through the Sentinel Steel catalog and order a bunch of lesser known music for sampling (I try my best to research the CD's before I buy them). I check CD Inzane every couple of days for updates.

I also download alot of metal to sample. Promos are always available online for upcoming albums. If I see a recommendation from someone for a new band I haven't heard before (To-Mera for example), I will search all over for music to download and listen. If I like it, it makes it to my short list and I order it when I can.

I do play everything I buy, between my car and my MP3 player at work, so nothing goes to waste. I buy a lot of stuff from bands I trust and I buy a lot of stuff blind. I have ended up with CD's I may never listen to again, but I have also been treated with some surprises as well. I buy alot - anywhere from 10 to 30 CD's a month.

After 3 years like this, I don't binge anymore. The search is constant, which makes it less daunting. Every day I run the boards for ideas and I search the online stores for new arrivals.

Example: I recently saw a post for Seventh Calling so I downloaded a couple of songs to sample, which I liked, so I will look to purchase that. At CD Inzane, Winterborn caught my eye, and after a quick search and a couple of samples, I now need to find that one as well.

This would not have been possible without the internet - I have a way to find and research new bands and a way to order the music.

 

[skyrefuge]

And it occurs to me, I spend at least as much time listening to music I hate, as I do listening to music I love.

This is the bane of my existence. And there a couple of factors that make my affliction even worse than what you describe.

1: Some of my favorite albums are ones that I did not love at first listen. Thus, I can't listen to two tracks of something new, be unimpressed, and discard it. I have to listen to the whole thing, several times, to be really sure that it sucks. And even then, I'm still plagued with doubt. "Maybe with one *more* listen, it would have clicked!"

2. I'm extremely frugal and a non-completist. I like a wide variety of sounds, and don't really need to hear things repeated. I like the idea of classifying albums as "essential" or "non-essential", and don't really want to end up with any non-essential albums in my collection. This means that if I discovered a band like Amon Amarth today, whose albums are all basically the same, I would have to go through the lengthy process of listening to all of them, somehow trying to figure out which one is the "best", keep that one, and then discard the rest.

Neil

 

[Wyvern]

Clearly the internet has been integral to Metal's survival. The ability to find new music, read reviews, and get recommendations from Metal fans from all over this spinning sphere, has kept this genre on life support while it regained its strength. However, I find that I'm spending more time looking for great music than actually listening great music. I've listened to hundreds and hundreds of CDs this year, endlessly searching for the next great disc. And it occurs to me, I spend at least as much time listening to music I hate, as I do listening to music I love. Am I alone? Or are others afflicted with this condition?

Zod

Zod you have nail the problem for me.

In my younger metalhad times I listened to 5-6 bands maybe, and I learnt those albums by heart, the music, the lyrics, the spirit. Nowdays I spend more time trying to download a friggin' album to see if it is worth to buy than actually enjoying the album once is has been purchased.

I don't sit anymore with the booklet reading while listening. If I turn off the light and listen to the album I fell asleep (signs of agement). I spend too much time listen to albums while posting or playing a game in the PC (as a test drive) instead of listening to the album anymore.

Only this year I have bought over 35 CDs just for 2006 releases (besides old stuff just discovered) and I haven't listen to them properly which drives me nuts when comes to the best album of the year poll .

Am I enjoying metal anymore or just being an album junkie?


P.S. I just remember I have 8 albums hauling my way, 2 of them 2006 (damn vice!)

 

[General Zod]

This is the bane of my existence. And there a couple of factors that make my affliction even worse than what you describe.

1: Some of my favorite albums are ones that I did not love at first listen. Thus, I can't listen to two tracks of something new, be unimpressed, and discard it. I have to listen to the whole thing, several times, to be really sure that it sucks. And even then, I'm still plagued with doubt. "Maybe with one *more* listen, it would have clicked!"

For me, it depends on the genre. With Prog and Black Metal, I feel compelled to give it a chance to sink in. With Power Metal, I know fairly instantly.

In my younger metalhad times I listened to 5-6 bands maybe, and I learnt those albums by heart, the music, the lyrics, the spirit. Nowdays I spend more time trying to download a friggin' album to see if it is worth to buy than actually enjoying the album once is has been purchased.

I don't sit anymore with the booklet reading while listening. If I turn off the light and listen to the album I fell asleep (signs of agement). I spend too much time listen to albums while posting or playing a game in the PC (as a test drive) instead of listening to the album anymore.

Agreed on all points. It seems those glory days, of knowing every nook and cranny of a given album, are long gone.

Zod

 

[mtndewqueen88]

Wow, this is an interesting question.
Since I've only delved into metal two-ish years ago, I'm approaching this from the "young metalhead" past many of you spoke about. In the beginning of my music obsession, I would never buy an album without extensive research into reviews and listening to at least two songs off the album. Each classic band that you all have the entire discography of, I had to discover and pick the zenith album to order and enjoy. I was frugal in the beginning, and slow at buying albums - about two at a time every two months. The exquisite joy therein comes from realizing I'm about to get a damn near perfect album each time. I'm still searching out the great! and it's so much fun! I memorize "every nook and cranny" of the album.
But you guys have spread the completionist bug, where I'm not as picky about what I buy and want albums to have them. For example, I ordered Raintime on the spot when they were announced as the first band - on the basis of one song! And I still haven't given them a truly proper listen. Moreover, I'm about to order three albums sometime today or this weekend, and I think one will be Manticora (who I've never actually heard, but have researched), and perhaps Virgin Steele or Redemption along with Blind Guardian's "Imaginations..." Plus, I want to buy Amon Amarth's newest along with Angra's newest, though they're further down the list because I ripped the promos from WREKage (www.WREKage.org) onto my computer. CDs for the first time have slipped by me without a loving obsession - albums like SYL'S The New Black, Raintime's Tales of Sadness, Blind Guardian's A Twist in the Myth... I own them, but I haven't absorbed them into my being yet.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do about all this, or how I feel about it - I'm so excited to discover new music, but I need to go back to taking it slow [I think].

 

[Greykiller]

While reading through the "What is the best CD of all time?" thread, I came across DT Jesus' post about Fate's Warning's "Parallels" and his comment about it being an disc without flaw. It occurred to me that I hadn't spun it in forever. So, before I left for work, I ripped it to my iPod. It blew me away... again. It also made me wonder...

Clearly the internet has been integral to Metal's survival. The ability to find new music, read reviews, and get recommendations from Metal fans from all over this spinning sphere, has kept this genre on life support while it regained its strength. However, I find that I'm spending more time looking for great music than actually listening great music. I've listened to hundreds and hundreds of CDs this year, endlessly searching for the next great disc. And it occurs to me, I spend at least as much time listening to music I hate, as I do listening to music I love. Am I alone? Or are others afflicted with this condition?

Zod

I just listen to the music recommended to me by this forum. Seems to be a good way to make sure I do not have to hear crap.

 

[LunaTEKKE]

And it occurs to me, I spend at least as much time listening to music I hate, as I do listening to music I love. Am I alone? Zod

I buy mostly based on recommendations. It’s not so much that I end up listening to music that I hate...but I do end up with a lot of CDs collecting dust on my shelves because the music didn’t really grab me after a couple of listens.

I often wonder how many chances I should give a CD that I just don’t have an immediate connection with, especially when it’s a release that comes highly recommended from others. There are only so many hours in the day…and there’s so much music out there that gives me *immediate* energy and enjoyment.

 

[DT Jesus]

Heh, glad my post motivated you to rediscover a classic, Zod. (Flawless indeed, wouldn't you agree? ) Also glad it inspired an interesting thread. For my part, somewhere around three or so years ago, I simply hit a point where I preferred sticking with the stockpile of favorite albums I already had compared to throwing down cash and dedicating time to average album after average album. Even when bands were offering to send me free CDs and when prog friends were offering to send me MP3s of some new "amazing" stuff, I was barely interested in checking into it. (Thus, my web site is all but dead now. sigh.)

I think the reasoning is two-fold. (A) For years I acquired some really great albums that I devoted myself to. It was a mission to find these great albums that would be meaningful to me, and in a sense, that mission was accomplished. The Edge, Tyranny, Streets, Dead Winter Dead, WoM, Electric Castle, Awake, Images & Words, Paradox, Remedy Lane, etc. I had found what I was looking for ... no reason to keep searching. (B) Additional searching proved fruitless. In the 90s and early 00s, it seemed like anytime an album was being fawned all over on message boards, there was a pretty darn good chance I was going to fawn over it too. 2002 came along, and suddenly everything that was hyped proved to be way overhyped when I got my hands on it and listened. By 2004, I pretty much concluded that any release being talked about as "amazing" was almost certainly inferior to what was already on my shelves.