HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ALBUMS

[A Darkness Coming]

pain of salvation - entropia

55 seconds after the start of the album, the cards are already laid down: this is PAIN OF SALVATION. Trashy down tuned guitars, complex drumming and the overwhelming vocals of Daniel Gildenlöw, starting with guttural vocals to a high pitched scream. This is “! (Foreword)”, the first song of the album and the rest just get better and better. Progressive Metal at his best, multi layered vocal harmonies (which are rendered perfectly live!), the perfect needed bass playing (although buried too often in the overall mix). Dealing with the horrors of wars this concept album through songs like “Winning A War”, “People Passing By” and “Obliveon Ocean” (no one can be insensible after hearing this incredibly sad ballad), PAIN OF SALVATION explores the sadness of armed conflicts, the suffering of losing someone you love, without sounding wimpy or cliché. The song “Stress” is the perfect example of the way PAIN OF SALVATION is able to put in music human emotions, with its funky, urgent feeling or the funky, jazzy feel of “People Passing By”. PAIN OF SALVATION understood quickly that to be progressive, you not only need to show that you are good musicians, no need a final product that will stand the test of time, that will put people in complete awe even 7 years later.



Behind such an outstanding album, despite the incredible amount of technicality shown in the music, there is the incredible vocal performance of Daniel Gildenlöw. What transpires the most about Gildenlöw’s vocals is the fact that he nearly never use any effect on it, which gives a feeling that he is singing right beside you, directly through your ears. No tricky chorus or reverb effect, just a plain Gildenlöw with all his pain, is suffering and sadness emerging from his melodic yet aggressive voice.



None can nowadays despise the influences PAIN OF SALVATION will have and that he is already having, on the Progressive Metal movement. The later years has let shown a less heavy, more personally oriented band, but suffice to say that they are now one of the unique milestones of the Progressive Metal world and that it would be hard for detractors to try to denied them. (Online August 12, 2004)
(metal-observer.com)

 

[Slayer101]

Atheist-Unquestionable Presence
Technical Death Metal at its best. A must have.
Obituary-Slowly We Rot
Old Skool Death
Death-Scream Bloody Gore
best of all time

 

[Rocky Raccoon]

pain of salvation - entropia

55 seconds after the start of the album, the cards are already laid down: this is PAIN OF SALVATION. Trashy down tuned guitars, complex drumming and the overwhelming vocals of Daniel Gildenlöw, starting with guttural vocals to a high pitched scream. This is “! (Foreword)”, the first song of the album and the rest just get better and better. Progressive Metal at his best, multi layered vocal harmonies (which are rendered perfectly live!), the perfect needed bass playing (although buried too often in the overall mix). Dealing with the horrors of wars this concept album through songs like “Winning A War”, “People Passing By” and “Obliveon Ocean” (no one can be insensible after hearing this incredibly sad ballad), PAIN OF SALVATION explores the sadness of armed conflicts, the suffering of losing someone you love, without sounding wimpy or cliché. The song “Stress” is the perfect example of the way PAIN OF SALVATION is able to put in music human emotions, with its funky, urgent feeling or the funky, jazzy feel of “People Passing By”. PAIN OF SALVATION understood quickly that to be progressive, you not only need to show that you are good musicians, no need a final product that will stand the test of time, that will put people in complete awe even 7 years later.



Behind such an outstanding album, despite the incredible amount of technicality shown in the music, there is the incredible vocal performance of Daniel Gildenlöw. What transpires the most about Gildenlöw’s vocals is the fact that he nearly never use any effect on it, which gives a feeling that he is singing right beside you, directly through your ears. No tricky chorus or reverb effect, just a plain Gildenlöw with all his pain, is suffering and sadness emerging from his melodic yet aggressive voice.



None can nowadays despise the influences PAIN OF SALVATION will have and that he is already having, on the Progressive Metal movement. The later years has let shown a less heavy, more personally oriented band, but suffice to say that they are now one of the unique milestones of the Progressive Metal world and that it would be hard for detractors to try to denied them. (Online August 12, 2004)
(metal-observer.com)

Fuck yea!! Entropia is an amazing album. My favourite by POS

 

[in limbow]

I'm not going to list my top 10 favorite albums of all time (I already have like 1000 times here), but instead some amazing albums that are worthy of high praise...

Agalloch- The Mantle
Van Halen- Fair Warning (The only actually good album they made... very dark)
Miles Davis- Kind of Blue
Yes- Fragile
Desaparecidos- Read Music, Speak Spanish
Nick Drake- Five Leaves Left
Santana- Santana III
B.B. King- Live at the Regal
Fugazi- The Argument

 

[NFU]

Please, man. I'm a big Ulver fan, but the Blake discs were a weak translation - by no means 10/10 material. If nothing more, just because the last song was awful.

please what? i dont even remember addressing you, stop acting like im beating you over the head with an album i didnt even mention by name.

nor did i say the blake discs were 10/10 did i? i said it was a tier 1 album from its respected genre (avant garde metal we'll say)...which i stand by.

 

[Jude]

Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
Robbie Robertson - Self titled
Led Zeppelin III
Pink Floyd - Obscured by Clouds
Dredg - Catch Without Arms
Handel - Messiah
Porcupine Tree - Stupid Dream

 

[Keith!]

Here is a few other bands/artists people might like to check out.

Alejandro Silva.
Alejandro is a monster guitar player from Chile. He plays heavy rock with a shred influence. This guy knows how to write a mean solo. He has even been on tour with Satch and Vai for G3.
Check out the songs K2 and 2050.

Goncalo Pereira.
Another monster from South America. Goncalo is Portuguese. He plays with a more metal influence and is a wicked soloist.
Check out A Trip to Kabul.

OHM.
I think they have been mentioned once on here. OHM is fronted by former Megdeth guitarest Chris Poland. OHM is fusion with wicked lead playing from Chris.

MVP - Centrifugal Funk.
This is a one off album featuring fusion players Frank Gambale, Shawn Lane, and Brett Garsed. This is a really really cool album. Some groovy ass songs with the most insane guitar playing inmaginable. Every guitar solo is improvised. Shawn Lane and Brett Garsed are a must hear on this, they blow Gambale out of the water.
Check out the cover of Miles Davis' "So What". A must hear song.

 

[Anti-Everything]

Dragonforce - Inhuman Rampage

 

[byrne]

actually, his list was quite good. all tier 1 main-stays in their respected genres. your list on the other hand aside from a few select albums is pretty terrible.

id like to see you differentiate between the terrible albums on my list and the what you inferred were "not so terrible" ones, betting that there are 2 or 3 you haven't heard and the rest i'd most likely just put down to you having bad tastes.

Burzum was the only album where he got even close to naming the bands best album and even then, 3 out of the 4 songs on the album are a total waste of time. Also Ulver is one of the worst bands I have ever heard.

Death and Opeth were shit recommendations based on the fact that 1. they again aren't the bands best releases and 2. every Opeth fan has heard them anyway.

 

[phagist_]

Psycroptic - Symbols of Failure, i got it in the mail yesterday!

Australian band from tassie, fucking technical death metal. have a listen on www.myspace.com/psycroptic.

 

[NFU]

id like to see you differentiate between the terrible albums on my list and the what you inferred were "not so terrible" ones, betting that there are 2 or 3 you haven't heard and the rest i'd most likely just put down to you having bad tastes.

Burzum was the only album where he got even close to naming the bands best album and even then, 3 out of the 4 songs on the album are a total waste of time. Also Ulver is one of the worst bands I have ever heard.

Death and Opeth were shit recommendations based on the fact that 1. they again aren't the bands best releases and 2. every Opeth fan has heard them anyway.

First of all, your obvious ignorance and stupidity is near record breaking...to the point where id almost rather not reply at all. But i will, for i have not much else to do this late at the moment. First of all, nobody stated any of those were the bands best releases of those bands dipshit...the thread is called "highly recommended albums". Implying you can post any album of any band if you highly recommend it. Pretty self explanitory. If youre referring to my "Tier 1" terminology, then you obviously dont understand at ALL what it means.

OK, now that we have THAT settled...To assume every Opeth fan has heard all the death releases is absurd. Have you even bothered to witness how far back and retarded most of these kids here are in their metal 101 courses? Half of them arent even entirely familiar with the Opeth catalog, let alone the entire Death catalog.

Third, to say Ulver is one of the worst bands youve ever heard means one of 3 things. A) you havent heard much of ANYTHING. B) youre simply trying to get a rise out of me because youre a twat like that. C) your taste and musical value system is so off kilter that a deaf retard trying to fuck a lamp post wouldnt even be as daft to say something so horrendously ignorant and laughable as that.

And last but not least...YOUR list...which was not only narrow in scope, greatly overrated AND predictable for someone of your obvious mental capacity was nothing near groundbreaking. But ill gladly point out which albums i thought were better than the rest...for i have indeed heard them all, and without needing judge or jury my taste obviously being infinitely broader and more mature than yours. Those albums you chose that i DID like being Beherit, Dissection and Sodom...all 3 of which are classics. Dickenson's solo album being overrated, and the rest being 2nd rate slop as a childish attempt of you trying to be some sort of "elitest" on a forum which is so naive and ignorant in the first place that your cause was completely unrealized anyway...which also has no affect on me whatsoever seeing as ive STILL heard 300 times more than youll ever hope to.

k thx bye

 

[byrne]

First of all, nobody stated any of those were the bands best releases of those bands dipshit...the thread is called "highly recommended albums". Implying you can post any album of any band if you highly recommend it.

No, firstly that would be an inference, but I DIDN'T infer that. I chose to assume that people recommended each bands BEST album (or what they thought were). Which is fair enough. So der, IMO THOSE ARE NOT THE BEST ALBUMS. Welcome to faggotville - population you. This is also backed up by your own next point.

Have you even bothered to witness how far back and retarded most of these kids here are in their metal 101 courses? Half of them arent even entirely familiar with the Opeth catalog, let alone the entire Death catalog.

Refer above - people around here, including you, are fucking stupid, which I why I seldom post here (unlike your goodself who likes to hang out with fellow mental pygmys). Plus I am willing to be the VAST majority of the people around here HAVE heard Death. The same comment applies to Opeth, as other than a few newbies, all would have heard it. :Smug:

Third, to say Ulver is one of the worst bands youve ever heard means one of 3 things. A) you havent heard much of ANYTHING. B) youre simply trying to get a rise out of me because youre a twat like that. C) your taste and musical value system is so off kilter that a deaf retard trying to fuck a lamp post wouldnt even be as daft to say something so horrendously ignorant and laughable as that.

Again, refer above - you are one of those you speak of.

And last but not least...YOUR list...which was not only narrow in scope, greatly overrated AND predictable for someone of your obvious mental capacity was nothing near groundbreaking.

How was my list at all predictable? The fact that no one else posted any of the bands I listed? Or the fact that you know me so fucking well that you could tell I was about to post it? Or is everyone listening to those bands these days? And the "elitist" comment was pure rubbish, as I am far from it - evidenced by the fact that I don't fellate Burzum like every keyboard weilding internet hero does. Also as an example astriaal's first full length, whilst not ground breaking, kicks fucking arse, is probably something people would like if they gave it a listen, has musical merit and shits all over Emperor's Anthems, which is essentially a weak album.

I'm not going to bother arguing any further with a person who posts as regularly in the Opeth forum as you do, but you suck, so shut up.

 

[a rofl nazi]

^ lol at you

 

[NFU]

lol, apparently i dont have to reply either, it was gracious of you to make such a self defeating post for yourself. congrats.

 

[Jude]

OK, now that we have THAT settled...To assume every Opeth fan has heard all the death releases is absurd. Have you even bothered to witness how far back and retarded most of these kids here are in their metal 101 courses? Half of them arent even entirely familiar with the Opeth catalog, let alone the entire Death catalog.

Yeah I like how not being familiar with other death metal bands makes you less of an Opeth fan

 

[A Darkness Coming]

Son of a bitch! I nearly wet myself when I heard this six piece outfit. This music was so fucking good just when I heard the first track that I had to find out more about them and get the whole catalogue. Yes, this is Doom Metal, but there is a constant beat and riff going on that it isn't boring. Just listen to "Rapture" and you will hear the vocal stylings and old musical vibe of KATATONIA from the early days and MY DYING BRIDE, but they go way far and beyond the call of duty. The mid pacing is consistent and the growls are there, but they add a haunting vibe with the keyboards giving the song a creepy feeling and a choir chimes in toward the end which just gave me chills.



It could have been an excellent closer, but they chose to open the disc with it and I had to continue to dive in further with this band. "Conflict" sounds like something from the "Brave Murder Day" era of KATATONIA, but it's more upbeat to a degree, but then again the guitars add this certain sadness that will make you want to break out the bottle of pills and alcohol as you continue to delve deeper into this band's misery. Once again, I love it! The mood of each track is captured perfectly without sounding too dated or like everyone else in this genre.



I highly don't recommend that you listen to this if you are in a good mood because it will bring you down that fast. My only problem with this release is that this is more of an E.P. than a full length. Come on, the songs are rather short and you only get seven of them. I want ten next time damn it! (Online June 30, 2005)
(metal-observer.com}

if u like KATATONIA old era buy this now

 

[a rofl nazi]

Yeah I like how not being familiar with other death metal bands makes you less of an Opeth fan

huh

 

[Rocky Raccoon]

No, firstly that would be an inference, but I DIDN'T infer that. I chose to assume that people recommended each bands BEST album (or what they thought were). Which is fair enough. So der, IMO THOSE ARE NOT THE BEST ALBUMS. Welcome to faggotville - population you. This is also backed up by your own next point.



Refer above - people around here, including you, are fucking stupid, which I why I seldom post here (unlike your goodself who likes to hang out with fellow mental pygmys). Plus I am willing to be the VAST majority of the people around here HAVE heard Death. The same comment applies to Opeth, as other than a few newbies, all would have heard it. :Smug:



Again, refer above - you are one of those you speak of.



How was my list at all predictable? The fact that no one else posted any of the bands I listed? Or the fact that you know me so fucking well that you could tell I was about to post it? Or is everyone listening to those bands these days? And the "elitist" comment was pure rubbish, as I am far from it - evidenced by the fact that I don't fellate Burzum like every keyboard weilding internet hero does. Also as an example astriaal's first full length, whilst not ground breaking, kicks fucking arse, is probably something people would like if they gave it a listen, has musical merit and shits all over Emperor's Anthems, which is essentially a weak album.

I'm not going to bother arguing any further with a person who posts as regularly in the Opeth forum as you do, but you suck, so shut up.

Dude your just digging yourself into an even bigger hole, stop clogging up the thread

Thanks

 

[Jude]

huh

He was derogating new Opeth fans for not being familiar with the catalogs of Death (which is stupid) and Opeth (which is not true in many cases and even if it is it's stupid)

 

[Illnath]

Son of a bitch! I nearly wet myself when I heard this six piece outfit. This music was so fucking good just when I heard the first track that I had to find out more about them and get the whole catalogue. Yes, this is Doom Metal, but there is a constant beat and riff going on that it isn't boring. Just listen to "Rapture" and you will hear the vocal stylings and old musical vibe of KATATONIA from the early days and MY DYING BRIDE, but they go way far and beyond the call of duty. The mid pacing is consistent and the growls are there, but they add a haunting vibe with the keyboards giving the song a creepy feeling and a choir chimes in toward the end which just gave me chills.



It could have been an excellent closer, but they chose to open the disc with it and I had to continue to dive in further with this band. "Conflict" sounds like something from the "Brave Murder Day" era of KATATONIA, but it's more upbeat to a degree, but then again the guitars add this certain sadness that will make you want to break out the bottle of pills and alcohol as you continue to delve deeper into this band's misery. Once again, I love it! The mood of each track is captured perfectly without sounding too dated or like everyone else in this genre.



I highly don't recommend that you listen to this if you are in a good mood because it will bring you down that fast. My only problem with this release is that this is more of an E.P. than a full length. Come on, the songs are rather short and you only get seven of them. I want ten next time damn it! (Online June 30, 2005)
(metal-observer.com}

if u like KATATONIA old era buy this now

It's a really great album.. I can't believe that i only paid around 5$ for it, in a music store in Copenhagen, apparently it was on sale

i'm differently getting their up-coming release.

I also recommend the Norwegian band Drawn. They are a combo of In The Woods, Katatonia and a little bit Opeth