The Best of the Best?

[bhcompy]

well, nightwish is actually bigger.. they'll sell the most albums overall in some countries.. evenescence wont do that(thank god because i detest that tripe).

the american metal scene died out a long time ago, now its hardcore and the 'cores' that float around it(metal, grind, blah blah blah). and on the side is thrash style metal with screaming, which is apparently different than hardcore(my brother continuously argues with me on this).. but thats basically the summary of the underground metal culture here. not like the late 80s/early 90s when you could walk down sunset blvd and see metal bands, or at least hard rock, on the showcase

 

[Yngvai X]

and on the side is thrash style metal with screaming, which is apparently different than hardcore(my brother continuously argues with me on this).. but thats basically the summary of the underground metal culture here.

True thrash metal is really dead here too. It sickens me whenever I hear people refer to shit like Lamb of God as thrash metal. It makes me want to smack them in the face with the new Kreator album.

 

[Walter_Langkowski]

Not everyone has the time or money to search out and buy CD's from mostly unheard of bands on the off chance you may find a good one. Power Metal in particular is a vastly over crowded genre, with A LOT of mediocre bands. Double basing and high-pitched singing doesn’t automatically mean it’s good by any means.

Somebody give Mtlheart a trophy for quote of the year...

 

[Walter_Langkowski]

I can't really blame people for not knowing PC69, especially those interested in Prog/Power. They just don't fit. Incidentally, does anyone else agree that this year there are 2.5 oddballs on the bill? PC69, Orphaned land, and about 50% of Therion's material? Just asking.

Anyways, in the Chicago-suburban metro area, we are spoiled on PC69 knowledge because the owner will smack you in the face (jewel case and all) with their latest release as soon as he gets it. He is a BIG fan.

I am looking forward to seeing them as I like Hard Rock similar to Dokken and PC69 fits the bill. Plus that band has top notch musicians so they'll please the ProgHeads.

 

[Yngvai X]

Incidentally, does anyone else agree that this year there are 2.5 oddballs on the bill? PC69, Orphaned land, and about 50% of Therion's material? Just asking.

I agree 100%

 

[angra150]

Therion is symphonic metal, or they have been called ritual metal, but that name is too specific... Stratovarius is also symphonic metal. It is a branch of power metal actually. keyboards+ choirs+ very high voices and speed metal. Angra started it with angels cry, but therion and stratovarius are within the 7 or 8 biggest bands you can get...

 

[angra150]

forgot to say, symphonic metal is a branch from power metal but it is also called european power metal... (at least in Latin america, because "power" is pantera and sepultura.... so, I agree with you, therion is an odd ball, but its one of the best odd balls glenn could get... come on, they didnt even play in Madrid when they toured... :'(

 

[Joe-×]

Or how can someone NOT know PC69 who's been around since 1989 and their old singer now sings for one of the gods of metal, Helloween? Wouldn't you, at the point of hearing Andi Deris's name for the first time, naturally go back and hear where he came from prior to Helloween?

Andi Deris is one the absolute worst singers in the history of metal on everything I've heard except for on that Star One Quasar song. He is the primary reason that I never bought anything from the band. The secondary reason is the gayness of the name. And that stupid ass album cover with the naked chick in boots. And every review classified it as cheesy hair metal. And nothing I ever downloaded from the band really screamed "buy me" to me. I went ahead this last week and picked up a couple of their discs anyway to get more familiar with the material. I can see the reason why it doesn't appeal to everyone. It isn't necessarily that people haven't heard of them - it's more likely that people just don't like them.

Joe

 

[Barking Pumpkin]

I will tell you my excuse or reason actually..... I have a slow ear. I am about as diversified as anyone and love all forms of metal and have for the past twenty years, but my IQ is about 80 when it comes to bands "sinking in." I am an elitist to a certain degree in that I am a fan of a few bands that actually are indies and am "common" enough that I bought the last Metal Church release.
My problem is that I burn out on music slower than most. When I find something I "really dig" I can play it (not exclusively but very often) for a month, but I know every inflection of the vocalist's delivery, every drumroll, every guitar fill, every bass fill, every keyboard riff and every backing vocal harmony as well as every guitar solo.
I am not saying I can facsimilate a;; or any of those to an instrument, but I know it in my mind. If there is a band and a release I really get into, then I want to know every nuance of the release. I am still a decent consumer of metal products considering that factor, but it does limit the number of bands I am able to really check out, which includes some of the bigger bands.


Bryant

That's exactly how I am. I don't really think I know an album until I go through this process. And with some musical genres, this can take quite a while. I got like fifteen albums for Christmas and I would only say I really know a few of them so far.

Every week I hear songs by at least one new band I've never heard of that I like. And so I have a huge list of bands' albums to get that I know I will like without even thinking about looking into bands I don't know. And if you think about it from the perspective that a lot of us love bands that we might be astonished that you don't know of. Also combined with the factor that I listen to every genre of metal and also classical and jazz, that's a lot of albums on my "wish list."

And for the record, I already have two albums by Stratovarius, but that's the only band I actually know. Therion, Manticora, and Orphaned land are on my "have heard good things about" list.

 

[Barking Pumpkin]

The secondary reason is the gayness of the name. And that stupid ass album cover with the naked chick in boots. And every review classified it as cheesy hair metal. And nothing I ever downloaded from the band really screamed "buy me" to me. I went ahead this last week and picked up a couple of their discs anyway to get more familiar with the material. I can see the reason why it doesn't appeal to everyone. It isn't necessarily that people haven't heard of them - it's more likely that people just don't like them.

Joe

I agree with this. Unless you're a classic "heavy metal" fan....and that meaning 80's bands, or an Adagio fan, I don't see why you would check them out. Truth be told, they have a stupid name, and stupid, cliche sounding album and song titles. Listening to a few of their songs, they don't seem to bring anything actually new to the table. So why should I have checked them out further previously when I could have spent time checking out something that does bring something new to the table? I can see how people that come from other favorite genres of music would like them, but this isn't really what I would choose to listen to. It's not really a good way to get people into new music by expecting everyone to have heard of your favorite bands.

And on the "popularity" factor, I've never ever heard them mentioned on the other metal board I visit.

[/end rant]

 

[guardian26]

Interesting thread..

Personally, I like alot of different music. If you limit yourself to thinking that you must like all kinds of power metal bands or all prog or nu-metal bands, then you really miss out. Prog/Power fans seem to pay more attention to the bands than the genre. I feel like we all agree on the superstar performances, even if we dont know the band's material that well. While I really dig Angra and bands that have strange melodies incorporated in them (also like O.L.) I dont go much for the crazy fantasy metal stuff. Sometimes people will spin a disc and just not get into it. I thought Brainstorm was awesome last year but I am not really a big fan. I definetly appreciated their energy tho, and I'm sure it will be much the same with Symphorce for me this year. I like P.O.S.'s tunes alot, but people that I can talk for hours with about how great 'Holy Land,' or 'Vain Glory Opera' is cant stand them. I think we all bring something to the table, talking about what bands we like and who we dont, but I think that calling us the "Best of the BEST," which sure is a great group to belong to, is somewhat elitist and hell, we only have about 3 or 4 fests when the Euros get a ton...just my 3 cents.

 

[Barking Pumpkin]

Yeah, so basically I of enough prog/power bands that I have a relatively large list of bands I would like to see perform, but not enough prog/power to know more than a few of the bands on the list, especially on the "strictly power" side of the list.

 

[Creeps]

I don't think we've ever been labeled the 'best of the best' in terms of knowledge of metal.

Speak for yourself :Spin:

I'm one of those people that have 1,000s of albums (yes I still call them that). For this year's lineup I have all the Therions that aren't strict death style, I think Vovin on. I have most of Stratovarius' stuff. Obviously no Stride or Circus Maximus. I just got Orphaned Land's Mabool love it. I also have 3 Symphorce discs and 3 Manticora discs.

For some reason unknown to me, perhaps the name through me off.. it really doesn't scream "metal, hard rock or melodic metal" or whatever you wanna call them, I don't have any Pink Cream 69 albums and never heard any songs until the ones posted here.

 

[Barking Pumpkin]

What also can be noted is the difference between people that will have five hundred albums, and have every album by eighty different bands, or the people that will have the same number of albums and have one or two albums from 450 bands.

 

[Creeps]

You know what else is good. This forum. The people here, for the most part, will suggest bands to you that you may or may not like based on your tastes. I found out about a lot of bands from people's suggestions here and what they say about them. Also that "now playing" at the bottom of the posts, I check out stuff online if somethign sounds interesting.

 

[aztattooedsean]

I have over 1000 cds and would have had more if I hadn't sold some back way back when. My list covers all genres from power, prog, thrash, death, black, folk, grind, gore, to everything in between. As many bands as I know in each genre, there are tons I still don't know. Plus, there are bands new and old that just didn't win me over in all genres but that is common for everyone. We all aren't going to know or like everything.

 

[Daybreaker]

Barking Pumpkin brings up a good point. I have about 900 cds but Id say a good 75% of them are bands that I have the entire discography from, like PC 69, Maiden, Priest, Pretty Maids, Helloween, Strat, Id say those 7 bands put together make up close to a hundred albums in my collection. Im an anal completist and if I dig a band I go on a mad hunt to find the rest of their catalog. Finding Bonfire and PRetty Maid's stuff was one hectic and nervewracking experience to say the least.


Ben

 

[Petethedrummer]

I'm not a huge fan of stratovarius, and i despise therion, so that should be a good reason. PC69 on the other hand is amazing

 

[DementiaGuitar]

Yeah, I was noticing the 2.5 oddballs thing also.

Obviously, the reason people haven't heard PC69's music before is because we all ran screaming upon hearing a band name "Pink Cream 69."
But now that they're playing ProgPower, they're worth checking out. I'm personally still not really into them, but maybe it'll click for me before September, and it's cool that others are excited to see them.

 

[edgeofthorns]

Hell no !! You are from Georgia !! Ha ha ha freaking redneck. You should live in a real metal state like where I am from....... ALABAMA !!! Ha ha ha. Talk about refined. My next-door neighbors have 75% of their teeth and only three old pick-up trucks on blocks between them. Just kidding of course.


Bryant

Well, I live in Tennessee, and the only thing we hear around here is AC/DC, Metallica, Lynard Skynard, and Hank Williams Jr.! If I hear one more cut from Metallica's black album, I'm going to hurl!!!!!