Hey all...
So I'm trying to get a couple of my friends into death metal. Bands I listen to range from Kalmah to The Faceless to Fleshgod Apocalypse and more, but that's sort of beside the point.
So a few of my friends are always calling my music "shit", I'm assuming usually because of the screaming. They're all pretty smart and like a few "metal" bands...they all like Avenged Sevenfold, System of a Down, and, the one great band on this list--Dream Theater. A few of them like a couple of Metallica songs...the point is, this mission isn't impossible. I look back to when I was 14/15 and just getting into metal and this was the shit that I listened to before stumbling upon bands like Kalmah and Ensiferum and whatnot.
I look back at the evolution of my relationship with the metal genre and see that not too long ago it was me listening to these bands that I now consider to be shit, and that I slowly progressed towards a more deep, complex understanding with metal with the subtle guidance of some of my more advanced associates. I remember that the first time I heard Kalmah I absolutely hated the vocals. I couldn't get used to the fact that Pekka Kokko just sounded like Gollum choking on a frog and having both of them try to sing at the same time. I heard Ensiferum and couldn't get over the fact that Petri just sounded like a dumb monster from a movie....the point I'm trying to make is that now I love the vocals, I love everything about death metal...but I didn't start that way. I "eased" my way into it.
So, I guess, my question is...what are some good bands, death metal or no (it can be power metal..I remember that Kiuas was a band that really helped me get further into death metal, since they're 95% singing with a small touch of death metal), that I can show to my friends to sort of "ease" their way into death metal. I was definitely going to show them In Flames--probably new, first, and work my way into some old. I was thinking Soilwork, but Bjorn's voice is a whole other story--I still hate his vocals and I've been listening to death metal for years--and other than that I can't think of much else. What I don't want is to be showing them bands like Asking Alexandria. I tried this experiment a few years ago on one of my other friends and made the mistake of showing him Killswitch Engage. Now, as far as core bands go, I don't think that Killswitch is that bad--but we went to a concert for them and The Devil Wears Prada played. So that became his new favorite band. And now, for the past 6 months or so, his all-time favorite band has been Asking Alexandria--followed right up by Attack Attack. So I'd prefer to stay away from the breakdown bands
What I guess I'm looking for are bands that aren't too brutal or evil sounding (not yet, anyways), that have catchy melodies, some good talent, and easier songs to get into for a non-metal head but stuff that will hopefully make them eventually lust for more and help them work their way into the awesome stuff like At the Gates, Quo Vadis, Arsis, Dying Fetus, Kalmah, Wintersun...the list goes on and on, obviously.
But anyways, anyone got any good bands/songs I can show these guys?
So I'm trying to get a couple of my friends into death metal. Bands I listen to range from Kalmah to The Faceless to Fleshgod Apocalypse and more, but that's sort of beside the point.
So a few of my friends are always calling my music "shit", I'm assuming usually because of the screaming. They're all pretty smart and like a few "metal" bands...they all like Avenged Sevenfold, System of a Down, and, the one great band on this list--Dream Theater. A few of them like a couple of Metallica songs...the point is, this mission isn't impossible. I look back to when I was 14/15 and just getting into metal and this was the shit that I listened to before stumbling upon bands like Kalmah and Ensiferum and whatnot.
I look back at the evolution of my relationship with the metal genre and see that not too long ago it was me listening to these bands that I now consider to be shit, and that I slowly progressed towards a more deep, complex understanding with metal with the subtle guidance of some of my more advanced associates. I remember that the first time I heard Kalmah I absolutely hated the vocals. I couldn't get used to the fact that Pekka Kokko just sounded like Gollum choking on a frog and having both of them try to sing at the same time. I heard Ensiferum and couldn't get over the fact that Petri just sounded like a dumb monster from a movie....the point I'm trying to make is that now I love the vocals, I love everything about death metal...but I didn't start that way. I "eased" my way into it.
So, I guess, my question is...what are some good bands, death metal or no (it can be power metal..I remember that Kiuas was a band that really helped me get further into death metal, since they're 95% singing with a small touch of death metal), that I can show to my friends to sort of "ease" their way into death metal. I was definitely going to show them In Flames--probably new, first, and work my way into some old. I was thinking Soilwork, but Bjorn's voice is a whole other story--I still hate his vocals and I've been listening to death metal for years--and other than that I can't think of much else. What I don't want is to be showing them bands like Asking Alexandria. I tried this experiment a few years ago on one of my other friends and made the mistake of showing him Killswitch Engage. Now, as far as core bands go, I don't think that Killswitch is that bad--but we went to a concert for them and The Devil Wears Prada played. So that became his new favorite band. And now, for the past 6 months or so, his all-time favorite band has been Asking Alexandria--followed right up by Attack Attack. So I'd prefer to stay away from the breakdown bands
What I guess I'm looking for are bands that aren't too brutal or evil sounding (not yet, anyways), that have catchy melodies, some good talent, and easier songs to get into for a non-metal head but stuff that will hopefully make them eventually lust for more and help them work their way into the awesome stuff like At the Gates, Quo Vadis, Arsis, Dying Fetus, Kalmah, Wintersun...the list goes on and on, obviously.
But anyways, anyone got any good bands/songs I can show these guys?
