I don't get it...

Yeah, that's always a good thing to know when someone states they dislike a band...do they even like similar bands or even an entire genre of music? And if they don't, isn't their dislike of that one particular band...sorta cheap? I think so.

Just my opinion.

Not necessarily. I can think of a few bands that I absolutely *hate* that are within I style I don't care so much for. It's not cheap. You like what you like and you hate what you hate. Sometimes there's plenty of stuff that you dislike in between, so to speak.
 
Yeah, that's always a good thing to know when someone states they dislike a band...do they even like similar bands or even an entire genre of music? And if they don't, isn't their dislike of that one particular band...sorta cheap? I think so.
I get where you're coming from. If someone says they don't like Amon Amarth, because they don't like harsh vocals, than I would agree, their opinion carries less weight. Amon Amarth had no chance to win them over, because the listener doesn't enjoy the vocal style. However, there's nothing about Slayer, Slayer's sub-genre or Slayer's style that I inherently dislike... I just don't like Slayer.

It's also worth noting, I didn't say I don't like those other bands, I said I wasn't familiar with them. Slayer most frequently gets lumped in with Metallica, Anthrax, Megadeth, Testament, Overkill, Exodus, Death Angel ... all of which were considered their contemporaries. All of which I like... I just don't like Slayer.

It's interesting how Slayer engenders such a strong reaction. On the one hand, they've (surprisingly) received the most dislikes in this thread. On the other, they're the only band who's been mentioned, whose fans have offered up theories, to invalidate people's dislike of them.
 
Pain of Salvation and Circus Maximus. Something just missed me with both of these bands.

Theoretically, I should really like Circus Maximus, but something just didn't grab me about it.
 
I get where you're coming from. If someone says they don't like Amon Amarth, because they don't like harsh vocals, than I would agree, their opinion carries less weight. Amon Amarth had no chance to win them over, because the listener doesn't enjoy the vocal style. However, there's nothing about Slayer, Slayer's sub-genre or Slayer's style that I inherently dislike... I just don't like Slayer.

It's also worth noting, I didn't say I don't like those other bands, I said I wasn't familiar with them. Slayer most frequently gets lumped in with Metallica, Anthrax, Megadeth, Testament, Overkill, Exodus, Death Angel ... all of which were considered their contemporaries. All of which I like... I just don't like Slayer.

It's interesting how Slayer engenders such a strong reaction. On the one hand, they've (surprisingly) received the most dislikes in this thread. On the other, they're the only band who's been mentioned, whose fans have offered up theories, to invalidate people's dislike of them.

I honestly don't think any of those bands are really very similar to Slayer. The others you mentioned aren't brutal OR evil sounding. That's really what makes the difference. Sure, you can say Dream Theater can be compared to Pain of Salvation, but that's not really a good comparison for someone who really knows what they sound like.

I've noticed it's actually a Prog/Power thing to hate Slayer. My friend Adam hates Slayer, but then again, he doesn't like a single band that sounds like Slayer (OLD Kreator, OLD Sodom, Morbid Saint, etc).
 
I honestly don't think any of those bands are really very similar to Slayer. The others you mentioned aren't brutal OR evil sounding. That's really what makes the difference. Sure, you can say Dream Theater can be compared to Pain of Salvation, but that's not really a good comparison for someone who really knows what they sound like.

I've noticed it's actually a Prog/Power thing to hate Slayer. My friend Adam hates Slayer, but then again, he doesn't like a single band that sounds like Slayer (OLD Kreator, OLD Sodom, Morbid Saint, etc).

For me at least, I listened to Slayer before being into metal when I was like 6, and then again after listening and enjoying stuff that's more brutal than Slayer. They just do nothing for me.
 
Totally forgot about Anthrax. I love most thrash, but to me, I've tried and tried with them but to me, I just hear noise without much difference from song to song...and that includes both main eras of the band. I like Benante as a drummer, but I cannot like a band based on their drummer alone.
 
Totally forgot about Anthrax. I love most thrash, but to me, I've tried and tried with them but to me, I just hear noise without much difference from song to song...and that includes both main eras of the band. I like Benante as a drummer, but I cannot like a band based on their drummer alone.

You haven't "listened" to Among The Living or hell, even the first singer on Fistful Of Metal. both classics and FoM is more traditional metal.
 
It's also worth noting, I didn't say I don't like those other bands, I said I wasn't familiar with them. Slayer most frequently gets lumped in with Metallica, Anthrax, Megadeth, Testament, Overkill, Exodus, Death Angel ... all of which were considered their contemporaries. All of which I like... I just don't like Slayer.

I can see this if you weren't into thrash in the 80's, but came into it later. But to say you didn't like Slayer for the reasons you did don't quite make sense. While i love Overkill Bobby's voice is pretty annoying. Mustaine is just as hard to stomach too. All of those bands were unique in their own way, but to say Slayer say doesn't mesh with the era they helped form is kind of ludicrous. lyrically they were ahead of the game tackling things no one dared touched. that is why they are so revered besides their all out aggressiveness like no other metal band before them.

I love all bands mentioned above just for the record. I just have to defend Slayer because of what they did for EXTREME METAL and the bad rep their skin carving fans may have given them.

Also, some of us remember Avenged Sevenfold when they were playing shows with Atreyu at little clubs in Orange County. I don't like them anymore, but their first and second full lengths are fun. Not all of their fans are 15.
 
The majority of Slayer's music is pretty bad. They have six full-length albums that I wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole.

That said, the first 3 records, and about half of the next 2, are completely mandatory. It blows my mind that someone can like metal and not enjoy those albums. They are perfect. Perfect.
 
Oh yeah, here are three more bands that I don't fully get:

Motorhead (sorry, I think they suck)
Megadeth (I tried soooo many times... I like some of their stuff, but in general, I don't get it)
Even some Metallica...
 
It's interesting how Slayer engenders such a strong reaction. On the one hand, they've (surprisingly) received the most dislikes in this thread. On the other, they're the only band who's been mentioned, whose fans have offered up theories, to invalidate people's dislike of them.
Yea, I was rather bemused by that as well. As I understood it, the thread was suppose to be "I don't get this band, not sure why" kind of thing. Not, "I don't get this band, tell me why I'm wrong," but Slayer was the one band that got that response. Just find that interesting.

More on topic, I don't get Rage. They play a style I like. They are talented. I don't enjoy them. Don't know why.
 
Sonata Arctica - don't know why i even waste my time trying to listen to them anymore
Blind Guardian - Just boring as hell no feeling to me
Steve Vai - i find his music boring and overrated
Dream Theater - i did listen to them back in the late 90's , but they just sound like nothing to me now
Demons and Wizards - nothing just don't enjoy it

i know there are a lot more ,and of course my taste has changed a little over time, i love power metal still , but i listen to more AOR Melodic stuff now like Work of Art,and JSS .
 
That one is easy. Yngwie can write great solos, but not great songs.
I absolutely LOVE his Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar that he did with the orchestra. Absolutely masterful and shows him at his best. Except for the earlier albums, I find his other stuff uninspired writing with great riffs. Laughable lyrics.
 
Falconer is another band to me that is very monotone nothing really special, but i feel i should like them because everyone seems to freak out about them,but i just can't. Maybe its the singer very weak to me
 
I absolutely LOVE his Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar that he did with the orchestra. Absolutely masterful and shows him at his best. Except for the earlier albums, I find his other stuff uninspired writing with great riffs. Laughable lyrics.

Yeah, All your Ships are burned has the worst lyrics in any song ever written.
 
Yeah, All your Ships are burned has the worst lyrics in any song ever written.

Caged Animal has some really lame lyrics, but so did the whole Relentless album.

For the old Malmsteen I love listen to his stuff no matter how lame the lyrics are because Judas Priest has some of the worst lyrics on the planet but i love'em so much. I think its the fact that amazing singers are singing the lame lyrics, Soto , Boals , JLTurner , Vescera,Edmon, not so much Tim Owens but he's ok. Also you know you are going to get a great overdone badass solo,and Riffs back in the day anyway.