Hermen Li of Alexi Laiho

[whata57]

I have come across so many videos where this debate has been going on and have decided to make a vote out of it so that i can say what the majority of people really think. In my opinion, if you have seen both bands live, there is no way you can vote for Hermen. He is terrible live and makes a lot of mistakes. Please Vote ASAP.

 

[Vimana]

Alexi, Herman plays fast and all but I think Alexi has more skill. Although Hermans solos are pretty good.

 

[Acey Jendell]

Both have their good and bad points.
Herman's solos aren't really all that technical, it's just that the background music is fast. Studio trickery is a major player in his case, like re-amping of recorded music and adding effects. And the rhythm guitars are all crap in every dragonforce song. It's basically the vocal melodies that stand out in any song they have ever created. I still like them though.

Alexi on the other hand, doesn't just go EXTREME POWER METAL WAH SATURATION NINTENDO BIT, and hope some 12 year old likes it. He was a classically trained violinist before playing guitr and makes extensive use of playing sweep picked arpeggios and exotic sounding scales.

IMO Alexi is more of a musician, and Herman is just a fag that plays fast and has stupid little noises all the time. Dragonforce are a gimmick band, that happen to have some catchy songs, but they're nothing special, and they suck live.

Children of Bodom, take elements of various genres of music and incorparate them into their melodic extreme metal sound, and make good use of everything they play. And they are amazing as a live act.

 

[Vimana]

Yeah, Herman is fast, but it seems like he's been focusing on speed ever since he started playing guitar. I'm sure if someone had been doing speed exercises for 10 years or so, you would have pretty damn strong tendons. Also Hermans riffs sound like 3 or 4 notes played over and over. He is good but not that great, he's too overrated.

Alexi has more skill, and it is true Bodom makes good use of all elements in their music. I think 70% of Dragon Force fans are just impressed by Hermans speed. Almost all Bodom fans just like the music.

I hate Dragonforce's singer, he looks like a poodle, and his voice is just out of place and kills the music. They need a vocalist with a raspy strong voice, not some singer who could actually fit well in opera. Supposedly DragonForce is influenced by 80's rock. They sound like Japanese music sped up with an opera singer singing over it. Experimenting with elements of music can be good but in DragonForce's case its bad. They could actually be legendary if they get rid of their singer, change their riff style, and make better lyrics. But who knows, they might keep their sound and change it for the better.

 

[genocide roach]

Li

i dont think laiho can even dream of pulling the sweeps li does, ad the spead he does
~gR~

 

[Unfaithfully Metalhead]

Anyone can play with speed and such but not everyone can play with "feel" at the same time... enough said:


http://youtube.com/watch?v=2iLIhLv8LuY

 

[Fury of the Storm]

Hard to say, I love both.

Herman is obviously fast and can do some flashy stuff. His interest in using the whammy bar is pretty cool as well. While their solos seem like wankery, they are oddly melodic and catchy, easily memorable. However he does rely too much on studio work to make sure his playing is tight and clean. Most seem to say that they fall on their face live. I have seen them live and played their solos fine so it is hard to say, for me at least, whether they really can't replay their own solos. In any case he seems overhyped in which he is seen as a god. He isn't a metal god but he is a very good guitarist.

Alexi is more or less a more solid player. He seems to be able to play the guitar like second nature. But looking at his playing compared to others in his style, he really isn't any better than any other power metal guitarist. However in that case, that means he is really good, since you have to have rather advanced skills in guitaring. However Bodom's appearance in the mainstream has made him overhyped as well. Many claim him to be the best player because they never have heard a power metal band before. Overall, he can write awesome solos that mix neoclassical and typical thrashy like riffs. He is no doubt one of the better guitarist of this decade.

If I had to vote I wold say Alexi. But only by a smidgen, Herman is still awesome.

 

[inhe]

People are so clueless

 

[tagradh]

People are so clueless

I agree, perhaps not for the same reasons but yeah. And more on topic, I can't stand either of them really.

 

[The Ozzman]

Why is this even a question?

Alexi FTMFOW

 

[Cul-Kothoth]

Two guitarist that come from different genres of music will have different influences so they shouldn't even be compared.

I also want to know what the deal with saying Dragonforce sucks live is about. Is that just something popular to say on the internet or did you actually have a bad experience at their show. I personally saw them live in Chicago last year and they were incredible, sure there were a couple of screw-ups but nothing to bitch about. Also, I have seen Children of Bodom live twice, once when they were headlining and once when they opened for Amon Amarth. When they were headlining they were a good show to see but unfortunately they were promoting there new album so some of the songs were just horried. When they opened for Amon Amarth however, they come on stage drunk. Their playing was sloppy, their vocals were weak, and they mostly just relied on their image to excite the fans. It was so bad that it almost sickened me to see them on stage, and I am a Children of Bodom fan. So why do people say Dragonforce sucks live.

 

[<-Warheart->]

Alexi.

Judging by every live video I've seen and even when I saw them live, Herman and Sam don't sound anything like what they do on the albums. Alexi has definitely become very sloppy now but 1999 was a very different story.

 

[General Zaroff]

Alexi.

He makes better music. Li is all speed.

 

[Razorjack]

Serato Pitch n Time is Herman's best friend.

 

[Vimana]

Two guitarist that come from different genres of music will have different influences so they shouldn't even be compared.

Not always, just because you sound different doesn't mean you have different influences, people borrow different parts of their influences style from their influences. But this is a thread comparing the skill of two guitarists, just because they sound different doesnt mean they shouldnt be compared. Like comparing Page to Hendrix, Hendrix is better, they both sound way different from eachother, but they've been compared lots of times.

 

[ESPmyk]

Serato Pitch n Time is Herman's best friend.

I second this. Sam Totman even admitted to my friend at a show the stuff is sped up, I expect it was in a moment of drunken sincerity. You can tell he doesn't enjoy it any more just by watching them live anyway, half the time he doesn't even play and makes 'wanker' signs at Herman. At Tuska it sounded like they'd just cut him out of the mix.

 

[razoredge]

OMG ! I was temporary distracted into buying a Dragonforce CD. I felt like burning it as soon as I heard the Alvin and the Chipmunks clone. I really thought I was about to hear something new and exciting. I felt like such a fool. Even if they have talent they are docked 10 points for being frauds. So they recieve a 0. Then another 10 for everysong sounding just like the last so now we have a -10

Think Ill go play some old Helloween in real time

 

[Vimana]

I second this. Sam Totman even admitted to my friend at a show the stuff is sped up, I expect it was in a moment of drunken sincerity. You can tell he doesn't enjoy it any more just by watching them live anyway, half the time he doesn't even play and makes 'wanker' signs at Herman. At Tuska it sounded like they'd just cut him out of the mix.

Are you saying your friend met him?

 

[shredtastical]

herman li is sloppy as hell and dragonforce albums are wayyyyy overproduced.

and that said, i still enjoy some of their songs, ZP's voice owns.

 

[1TON]

From what i saw on u-tuba, i pesonaly like alexi's playing style more between the two.

both have decent technical ability.
but neither plays anything i havent heard before guitar wise.