What are your favourite bands?

[fire_angel]

Hi all, i'm just curious what sort of music everyone listens to, and who they would consider some of their favourite artists. Band members are more than welcome to contribute too Metal or otherwise, go crazy; it's not a pissing contest for who knows the most obscure bands. Maybe post a favourite song or video for each band if you have time!

Seventh Wonder of course
Anthem:
Lord:
Kid Confucius:
Pendulum:
X Japan:

 

[Xirukah]

I understand. This is not a way to show the darkests bands we know. So i'm gonna post some of my favorite bands and a little explanation .

1 - Pink Floyd - I'm 17, and Floyd are my favorite band since my seven years. Since ever i was an adicted to Big Songs, even when i was in the tecno phase with songs of 10 minutes. My father showed me The Wall Live and i never forget that car trip. Here is my favorite song and the best song ever made with Bohemian Rhapsody



2 - Metallica - Well, i started to listen to Metallica when i was 15, and they had a great impact of my life, since my music style to my guitar playing. I love their songs, and i don't care about the opinions of other Metalheads when they say Metallica Sucks. Metallica is my favorite Metal band. Here is the best song for me.

´http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSndn8E5FRY

3 - Dream Theater / Opeth / Redemption - I said before that i'm totally addicted to long songs. So the best style for that is Prog Metal.

Dream Theater is possibly where the best musicians of the world meet. John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess or John Myung ( and before September Mike Portnoy obviously ) are possibly on the Top 5 of each instrument and they're simply awesome. Great Songs. Great Albums. My favorite is Octavarium, and obviously i leave here Octavarium song, my favorite by DT.



Opeth is my favorite metal band for last 10 years work. Since 2001 they released 5 absolut master pieces on Progressive Death Metal. They reinvent theirself each album, and reinvent Death Metal music. I love when Opeth are playing Pure Death Metal with growls and total brutality and in a second they change to acoustic and clean voice. It's totally Eargasmic!!! My favorite song is from Watershed ( 2008 ) and here it is



Redemption is a Prog Metal band i love and i feel proud to know. I've talked with a lot of people and i don't know why but they don't know. I've discovered Redemption a few months ago, maybe 8 or 9 and i love them. I think that Alder does a great work there and i prefer him on Rdemption than him on Fates Warning. They were the first " underground " metal band i listened. My favorite Redemption album is Fullness of Time and here it is a song from there



6 - Children of Bodom - I'm a particular fan of Melodic Death Metal. One of reasons to i can't like Brutal Death Metal is the fact of i can't listen to the guitars and guitar solos and all. It's only Drum Beat and stupid voices. Here on Melo Death, we have bands like CoB, Arch Enemy, Amorphis and others, that play really heavy songs but also with melody and not a stupid Drop C guitar playing power Chords. CoB are a really fuckin heavy band with great albums, great songs and maybe of best Metal Guitar Players of new generation. Alexi Laiho is a great player, and he does a really hard thing. He is the Lead Guitar and the Lead Singer. Along the history of rock, we didn't seen very bands doing that. Maybe Dire Straits, Pink Floyd and i don't remember more. My favorite Children of Bodom album is Blooddrunk and also my favorite song is Blooddrunk




7 - Seventh Wonder - Finally, 7th Wonder. I discovered this band a month ago, when they released The Great Escape. I listened that album and my reaction was simple. WOWWWW. The Great Escape is a really fuckin good Prog Metal album and i think it is an absolut Masterpiece. Their musicians are simply awesome, starting on singer and finishing on Drummer. Maybe the next Dream Theater!!! here is my favorite song.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvf-3we9RM8"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvf-3we9RM8[/ame]

This is my first comment. I hope you like it.

Sorry my bad english!!

 

[JAGColaço]

All time favourite bands:

- Genesis [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-mrqz96yeY]
- Dream Theater [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgKHimdfNrY]
- Liquid Tension Experiment [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15b-NhF4N4Q]
- Opeth [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5LmbsVn9vA]
- Neal Morse [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQhqsczPm1M]
- Pain Of Salvation [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIxksypdAtw]

Nowadays:

- Seventh Wonder
- Panzerballet
- Pantera
- Avenged Sevenfold
- Bloodbath
- Between The Buried and Me
- Anathema
- Michael Harris
- Arjen Lucssen's
- A.C.T.
- City and Colour
...and so on

How I set the youtube link's in a direct window?

 

[RuRoRul]

Just paste the link in and it will automatically embed them. It did that for me anyway.

My current top 5:

Dream Theater: I'm pretty sure everyone here knows them, even if you don't like them. So many absolutely amazing songs, some of my favourites would be In The Name Of God, A Change Of Seasons, This Dying Soul, The Count Of Tuscany, In The Presence OF Enemies, Octavarium, The Glass Prison, Metropolis... and I'll stop there before I go into a top 10 or 20, all of which would be among my favourite songs of all time.



Alter Bridge: My long time favourite band, maybe not everyone here will know them. They're not prog just an absolutely fantastic hard rock band. Reccomended for fans of Seventh Wonder I guess since they have amazing singing and melodies combined with good musicality with catchy choruses and heavy riffs.


[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XVRGdjo8hY&feature=fvwrel[/ame]


Seventh Wonder: Kind of speaks for itself... Favourite songs The Great Escape, Break The Silence, Unbreakable, Welcome To Mercy Falls, The Angelmaker, King Of Whitewater, Hide And Seek, Pieces, Waiting In The Wings



Symphony X: Another one I'm sure you all know. Love The Odyssey, Divine Wings Of Tragedy, Revelation, Rediscovery, The Edge Of Forever, The Accolades.




Avenged Sevenfold: Probably not a popular one but these guys have been among my favourite bands for a few years now. City Of Evil is my favourite from them, and I really don't see too great a divide between it and the prog metal I like now. I know other people who love this band and Seventh Wonder as well so give them a chance if you've already dismissed them because they're popular and admittedly didn't have the best image with the typical emo look. Favourite songs: Missing In Action, Save Me, I Won't See You Tonight Pt 1, Sidewinder, Afterlife, And All Things Will End.

 

[Detective Clarence Beauregard]

I listen to a lot of music (mostly progressive stuff), but I really only care about three bands:

1. Symphony X

Favorite band, hands down. To say I am obsessed with their music would be an understatement. Their self-titled debut was a bit of a stinker (99% of this was the vocalist), but everything else is pure gold.

2. Opeth

Loved them since 2004. Their sound is so haunting and beautiful. All their albums are great, but I recommend Still Life, Damnation, and Morningrise. I thought My Arms Your Hearse was overrated.

3. Seventh Wonder

Got into them a few years back when I heard Waiting in the Wings (I still prefer it to Mercy Falls). The Great Escape might top it, though! I can't get enough of this album!

Some other bands I listen to, although not nearly as much as the three above:

* Adagio - Neoclassical progressive metal from France. Four albums, all quality.
* Anthriel - New Finnish prog metal band. Debut album The Pathway is quite good; Symphony X-type sound.
* Armored Saint - One of the few 80's metal bands I still listen to. I recommend Symbol of Salvation (massively underrated; probably one of the greatest metal albums of all time).
* Avantasia - Multi-vocalist side project from the Edguy frontman. Good symphonic metal.
* Black Sabbath - Dio stuff only; can't stand Ozzy's voice.
* Circus Maximus - Great prog metal band from Norway; both albums are good.
* Bruce Dickinson - Iron Maiden vocalist side project. Chemical Wedding is a fantastic album; one of my favorite metal albums for sure!
* Dio - Has some great stuff from the 80's; Holy Diver, Last in Line, etc. Perfect for karaoke!
* Dream Theater - Occasionally; can only take them in small doses. First four albums are fantastic, but then they go downhill (although Train of Thought is a diamond in the rough). Rudess is a bit too experimental for me at times with all his weird-sounding space patches; give me classical sounds any day over that. Also, after listening to great singers like Russell Allen and Tommy, LaBrie annoys the never-ending shit out of me...
* Iced Earth - When I'm in the mood for cheesy power metal. Horror Show (their last good album) is one of my favorites.
* Iron Maiden - I actually prefer their latest albums (2000 onward) to their classic stuff; I find it to be more consistent. Brave New World is easily one of my favorite albums of all time.
* Kiuas - Finnish metal band with a wide range of influences. Check out Reformation.
* Kamelot - Once again, when I'm in the mood for cheesy power metal. Sometimes a bit over-dramatic for me.
* Liquid Tension Experiment - Dream Theater without the vocals! Win-win! No Myung though.
* Nightwish - I actually prefer their new singer to Tarja, but their back catalog is decent.
* Pink Floyd - My favorite is Animals, and I think Dark Side of the Moon is overrated.
* Rainbow - More Dio! Their albums from '75 to '78 were excellent!
* Rush - Classic prog rock. They have like 20 albums; there's got to be something in there that everyone can like (unless you can't stand Geddy's voice). I like their 80's period.
* Joe Satriani - Probably my favorite instrumental rock music. Check out Crystal Planet or Strange Beautiful Music.
* Threshold - British prog rock/metal band with several great albums; I recommend Hypothetical and Subsurface.
* Time Requiem - Swedish power metal with neoclassical influences. About 50% good.

Those are just some of the artists I like. I also enjoy a lot of video game music, particularly from the Resident Evil and Metroid series.

 

[GLDF]

My favorite bands are (In no particular order)

Andromeda
Dream Theater
Forgotten Suns
Pain of Salvation
Porcupine Tree
Seventh Wonder
Symphony X

Besides those ones we got
The Progressive Side of Iron Maiden (And the last 4 albums. I find them to be stronger. Except my favorite track, Seventh of a Seventh Son from the 80's)
Early Metallica
Kamelot
Pink Floyd
Neal Morse
Opeth
...Oh well, I could list a thousand on this one. Let's keep the favorite ones above

 

[EddyRX10]

In no particular order

Seventh Wonder
Children of Bodom (upto and including Hate Crew Deathroll)
The Offspring.
Journey.
Paramore.
City & Colour.
Helios.
WASP.

 

[the_lone_bard]

Well i guess i'll list off some of mine. Might as well start with the earlier bands i found.
So, long story short, music was and is the biggest part of my life, i might not be talented in any form, but i listen to music for most of every day, basicly if i'm not talking to someone i'm listening to music.
Now one of the first bands i found was metallica. On reflection they are certainly not the best band around, But there is just something that metallica captures that makes them one step better than most other bands like them. Favorite song? I'd say nothing else matters, Or sanitarium.

Second up, Comes the incredible maiden, Just after i started listening to metallica i decided to look at some other bands like them and got advice from a mate, He gave me plenty to choose from and most of them i was incredibly underwhelmed by. Then i heard The Trooper. Such an energetic song, If it was a tv show or movie it would be one of the shows/movies That is so incredibly over the top that it goes from being meh to incredible. Favorite song? Ryme of the ancient mariner.

Skipping foward a few years through all the usual metal bands a 13-15 year old would enjoy. Now comes Blind Guardian. These guys were just amazing, They were actually the first band that i downloaded an album of without hearing a song from them first, And luckily that album was Nightfall in middle earth. The premise of the album is just so...bad. It's different sure, But when i read up on it i just thought "Well that's stupid..." But against that, The album is DAMN INCREDIBLE! That's all i can really say about it. Favorite song? It's a tie, Time stands still (At the Iron hill) and The bards song.

Then came In Flames. Right about christmas of my 15th year i was very depressed, And music was pretty much my only escape, And i stumbled on these guys watching RAGE (All night music show on abc during friday/satday night here in aus, Terrible music most of the time, But i think on saturdays they have like 2 hours of metal.) Grabbed there album there and then and loved it, This band is different to all the other Death Metal bands i'd heard, I hate most death metal/screamo to this day, But inflames had this unique sound to them, And looking into the lyrics it was obvious That they weren't just catering to the depressed masses like most death metal bands but were actually more about overcoming it. Quite a great find for that point in my life. Favorite song? I'd say trigger or Dead End.

Right about the same time i discovered Disturbed. An interesting band with a sound i hadn't really heard before, And the themes of there music Appealed to me quite a bit. Now Everyone knows disturbed and most of the people i know are split 50/50 on whether they like it or hate it. But like nickelback i'm taking a guess here and saying that quite a few of those that say they hate it actually have it as one of there guilty pleasures. Also the Land of confusion remake off the ten thousand fists album was incredible, And to me at the time was so insane, To this day i'd still like to see the people take control of the governments but back then i was just a teenager and the thought that there were others out there that weren't psychopaths astonished me. Favorite song? Land of confusion.

Now the third band i discovered at this time. TOOL. Nothing can be said about these guys that you all havn't heard before, So if you havn't heard them yet, Go out, give vicarious or lateralus a listen.

So jump foward to a month before my 16th birthday, Now i was being kicked out at this stage, So right before i left i downloaded everything i could get my hands on. Didn't even listen to most of it for at least a month afterward. But when i did Needless to say quite a bit got deleted, Some of it i have been meaning to give a listen for near 3 years now. One band that i did listen to and fell in love with was Sonata Arctica. Tony kakko puts so much emotion into his vocals that it was... Words can't really describe it. The first time i heard the song gravenimage i cried, The song was so simple and yet so incredible, And for the first time i found a band where i had a sense that they were a real band, Not just a guitarist drummer bass player and vocalist doing there own thing. Favorite song? Gravenimage.

After about a year i found my next new band, By now i'm 17, and listening to all sorts of music and admiring it's complexity, How old music was meant nothing to me, Nor did the genre and i judged new bands by listening to a song or two first as i'd been incredibly dissapointed by alot of bands i'd been told to listen to. Then came avantasia. Avantasia is very hit and miss for me. There is no denying that everyone involved is incredibly talented, But some of the songs just don't appeal to me as much as others. This being said the songs that do appeal to me were something i'd never experienced. When i heard the scarecrow i was BLOWN AWAY. The incredible energy put into that song was so astonishing, The lyrics so pleasing to hear and yet so brutally strong. At first i thought this song was great, But with some more listens i started to discern the differences of tobias and jorn. I will say right now that i am a fan of both, but jorn is by far my favorite of the two. With the dual release of there latest album i can honestly say if you are a fan of good music (Sorry but that excludes rap/RNB/pop/country) There is something for you. the songs are so varied and some so over the top while others so dark and underplayed that it can be quite shocking to know that these are the same people who just done another angel down... Favorite song? The Scarecrow.

And now comes ayreon. Thanks to jorn's apearance on one of the albums. Ayreon is such a difficult thing to describe, I hesitate to call it a band because that implies that there are continuous members, And i hesitate to call it a project because that implies that it is more mechanical in nature. Ayreon is something between the two, With such a wide array of vocalists and such outlandish sounds it is actually a little daunting to listen two. The first album i heard was the human experiment, And listening to the story of this album unfold, laying in the dark, picturing it in my mind, it was so amazing, and i'm not ashamed to say that i was on the verge of tears and cheering the main "Me" Character on during the albums finale. Great vocal work from all involved With special mentions going to Irene jansen for her part playing passion, With the vocals and energy to make the emotion seem true to it's namesake, Fierce and always changing but so incredibly talented, It makes me sad that she has had such little work. And marcela bovio, As "Wife". On first listen i could have sworn Love and Wife were the same vocalist but on repeat listens it is clear there is a difference and "Wife" is much the superior. If you havn't already give this entire album a listen, It is more varied than any album i have ever heard but so moving and skilled. Thanks to ayreon i have discovered many other bands following the artists work. Favorite song? Day 20: Confrontation, Or The shooting company of frans b concq.

Then came seventh wonder. The first time i heard you guys was about 8 months ago, And i had never heard of you i'm sorry to say. But i did see your name in a random online thread and was looking for new music, So i took a look at welcome to mercy falls. And was blown away. I quickly gave the entire album a listen and was enthralled. I will admit that unbreakable i reqularly remove from my playlists when listening to the album because it seems out of place, It is a good song, and i listen to it alot when listening to random seventh wonder songs, But in the album it has a rather abrupt transition between welcome to mercy falls and tears for a father/one day away. When the album got to break the silence i nearly cried, Such an incredible song. but when i heard one last goodbye and heard jenny join in towards the end (at least i think it's jenny) i did cry. Such a moving song and so sad, The album drew me in and had me hooked, Hoping for the main character to survive only to be shot down. Then came the great escape, I was around for this ones release, And i must say when i heard it announced i was thrilled, The happiest i'd been in a LONG time. i checked the forums every day untill a release date was announced. And i will admit the second it was leaked i was all over it. I fell in love with the album but on my first few listens thought that it didn't flow together very smoothly. That opinion changed on repeated listens though. The album is overall a great listen and so far even people who i know that generally hate metal or rock adore this album. But the real talent of this album lies in it's namesake, The Great Escape. I've gone on far too long about seventh wonder in a thread about what i listen to, Considering this is the seventh wonder forums. But i will say this, Any praise i'd given to other vocalists tommy deserves ten fold, He captures pure emotion in his vocals and is the only vocalist i have found capeable of such. Andreas is a very talented bass player knowing just what to play and when to play it to give the bass it's well deserved place alongside keyboard and guitar rather than as just a random instrument that fades in and out of the background like too many bands. Johan uses the guitar like a true artist, So skillfully that you often can't pull yourself away from it, inspiring and incredible, Something i think most guitarists would admire. Kyrt is one of the most unique keyboard players i've heard, Seeming to play completely random notes that always sound perfect for the song, I say completely random because, With most keyboards you can follow them easily, Not in this case, Following them is occasionally impossible as they just become a complex blur of perfection. And of course johnny, So sad to see him go, A talented drummer who realises that speed does not always result in the best sound, Able to fit into any song and never trying to upstage anyone else but always prominent.
Whelp i've again said far too much about the band on there own forums, But i ramble on alot more as i get tired, I hope someone found a new band that they enjoy from this post. Now to go to sleep.

EDIT: I forgot to mention, I say frequently in this post that i downloaded albums, i should mention while i do download alot of albums i buy every one of them that i like or respect for having talent, whether i intend to listen to it once or on infinite repeat.

 

[Detective Clarence Beauregard]

The Progressive Side of Iron Maiden (And the last 4 albums. I find them to be stronger. Except my favorite track, Seventh of a Seventh Son from the 80's)

I also find their 2000-era stuff to be stronger than their 80s material; there's less filler (with the possible exception of Dance of Death). Brave New World is one of my all-time favorite albums! How do you like Final Frontier?

By the way, Seventh Son is one hell of a song, and easily one of the strongest 80s Maiden tunes. Very proggy, too!

Avantasia is very hit and miss for me. There is no denying that everyone involved is incredibly talented, But some of the songs just don't appeal to me as much as others. This being said the songs that do appeal to me were something i'd never experienced. When i heard the scarecrow i was BLOWN AWAY. The incredible energy put into that song was so astonishing, The lyrics so pleasing to hear and yet so brutally strong.

I completely agree, The Scarecrow is an incredible song. I really dig the Celtic vibe of the main theme. Unfortunately, the rest of the album is kind of downhill from this song. By the way, I also prefer Jorn over Tobias. Have you ever heard the trilogy of Allen/Lande albums (The Battle, The Revenge, and The Showdown)? Good music, better vocals. Jorn and Russell's voices blend very well!

 

[the_lone_bard]

Yep, truth about our time has gotta be my favorite of all jorns songs.
Now have You heard jorns tribute album to dio?

 

[fire_angel]

Song for Ronnie James is awesome. I'm not the BIGGEST fan of Jorn's solo stuff (stuff like Sunset Station and Where the Winds Blow are amazing though), but that song is a real cracker:



Easily one of my fav vocalists.

 

[Johan Liefvendahl]

I think this is one of the best songs from Mr Lande...

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J6ff-Nr2Xg&feature=related[/ame]

 

[the_lone_bard]

I completely agree, The Scarecrow is an incredible song. I really dig the Celtic vibe of the main theme. Unfortunately, the rest of the album is kind of downhill from this song.

Really? i forgot to adress this before... well time to remedy that!
I actually think that the scarecrow (Song) is probably the best avantasia tune so far. But as for the album going downhill i don't think so.
I'd compare it more to the album being on flat ground, and the scarecrow decided to climb mount everest. Some of the songs try and climb up as well, but for the most part the entire album doesnt really go downhill so much as it stays fairly level. Though there are exceptions, one song i think actually does g downhill where-as other songs (Another angel down, Devil in the belfry) try to climb up to the hights that the scarecrow did but while they make a valiant effort just can't get that high. Also while not technically belonging on the album (It's been on what? 3 so far) Lost in space was also a beautiful song and an incredibly suprising turn for the album considering it was the closing track, To anyone listening to them for the first time (Like i was) i think that it was a perfect placment on the album, If a little strange.
But then again calling it strange is probably redundant considering tobias seems like an absolute madman.

 

[marshmallow]

Apart from SW, most of my favorite bands are extreme metal. Here are some of my faves.



Aeon:

Though I'm not too much a fan of their lyrics, they play a brand of exciting technical death metal that is both heavily brutal and technical, but it also has the sort of playing that actually grabs my attention and is almost "catchy".

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbGXVHzyzLc&feature=related[/ame]

Persefone:

This band combines the strong technicality and melody of Progressive Metal with the heaviness and dark vocals of Death/Black Metal. They're from Andorra and I'm proud to say I've been a fan since before just about anybody knew about them (even before their stuff went on itunes).


[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d47rb5HGaVo&feature=related[/ame]

Gama Bomb:

Irish Thrash band that has not only stayed consistent with the genre they're playing, but they play some pure, heavy, no-strings-attatched, good old fashioned Thrash Metal.



Evile: Another, more technical thrash metal band, these guys are at the forefront of the revival. I love their songs.



Melechesh: Israeli band currently in The Netherlands. They are a very heavy and crunchy black/thrash/oriental metal band, makes me headbang vigorously. I just love their style of metal.


[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbCqkpJOtCw&feature=related[/ame]

Agalloch:

An American Metal band almost as impossible to define as their name itself (Agallocha is the latin name of some kind of plant), these guys produce slow, distinct and atmospheric heavy metal. Their music is not just music, it's an experience. They call themselves "Nature Metal", which is a fair description since their songs have that distinct atmosphere. Also, for some reason one of their albums had a Ralph Waldo Emerson quote on the disc.



Sun Caged:

Another Lion Music group, from the Netherlands, I just like the overall sound of this band, and I like this American singer (the first album didn't impress me). I just like listening to the different stuff they do in each song. Also, Afraid to Fly is one of my favorite ballads ever.



Testament: Classic thrash, really wish they would have been a part of a "Big Five" thing, as they've always been in the shadow of the big 4. Either way, I saw em live once, and it was a very metal day



Necrophagist: Not much that can truly be said about one of the Premiere tech-death bands of history that hasn't already.





We already know about DT and SX so I only really need to mention them.


And of course my music idol would have to be Joe Satriani.

 

[Detective Clarence Beauregard]

Yep, truth about our time has gotta be my favorite of all jorns songs.
Now have You heard jorns tribute album to dio?

No, but I'll check it out, thanks! I loved Dio!

 

[loshean]

My taste is a bit diverse, particulary one band on my top 5 list that I guess none of you could ever like.

1) Dream Theater - Everyone here know who they are, I got forced to go to a DT concert in 2007. And they blew me away, been a geeky fan since then. Also was on my second concert with them in 2009.
2) The Strokes - Strange choice for someone hanging around on this forum I guess. But for me, these guys have created the best album since I was born. (Is this it) And I've been a fan for 10 years now, still dying to see them live, wich I will at Coachella in California this year.
3) Seventh Wonder - Some prog friend told me about this AWESOME band! I said that I couldn't find any good prog metal bands besides DT, and most of them bores me. So i listened to Mercy Falls and i started to WONDER why these guys wasn't better known. About two weeks after I saw on facebook that they were playing in Oslo, so I went there and that was the best concert I've ever attended. Got to meet Tommy aswell, wich was really cool. After that, about 6 months ago I've barely listened to anything else.
4) Iron Maiden - started out when i was this 10 year old kid listening to eminem, and my brother got me into this band, never looked back at mainstream pop/hip hop. Been a fan since, attended to 5 concerts and they have all been fantastic.
5) The Rolling Stones - For me the essence of rock, been lucky to have the opportunity to see them once i 2007 and it was a memorable concert.

These are the bands that have really struck my mind, and i've sticked to since my discovery of them.

 

[fillipeano]

I guess I'll stick with rock and metal artists and not venture off into other genres
In no particular order:
Seventh Wonder (Of course)
Dream Theater
Symphony X
Rage Against the Machine
Tool
Between the Buried and Me
Pagan's Mind
Sublime

 

[fizodan]

Seventh Wonder
Circus Maximus
Neal Morse (Spock's Beard, Transatlantic)
Alter Bridge (I second it)
Guns N' Roses
Metallica (early)
Symphony X
Dream Theater
Iron Maiden
Shred Guitarists (Jason Becker, Greg Howe, Tony Macalpine, Guthrie Govan, Blues Saraceno, Paul Gilbert, Steve Vai, Marty Friedman, George Lynch, Shawn Lane, and so on)
Sieges Even (Tidal Album is absolutely amazing)
Pink Floyd
Rush
Strung Out (punk band that can shred and has catchy vocals. check out suburban teenage wasteland blues.)
Pretty much any band with great musicianship and vocals. I love vocal harmonies!
All of these are on heavy rotation on my ipod.

 

[meeseface]

Morbid Angel
Immolation
Holy Moses
Finntroll
Bolt Thrower
Death
Einherjer
Immortal
Keep of Kalessin
Moonsorrow
Trollfest
Therion
Vader
Satyricon
Sepultura(before Derrick Green)
Les Claypool
think I might have named too much but its hard to choose a favorite from that list

 

[JenniferLynn]

Ok this is going to be 2 parts - my favorite bands and what I've been listening to lately on the iPod:

Bands -
Seventh Wonder - Circus Maximus - Vanden Plas - Kamelot - Conception - Pathosray - Pagan's Mind - Diablo Swing Orchestra - DGM - OLD Queensryche and more.... (been taking a break from these bands to listen to other stuff on the iPod)

Current iPod listening (try not to laugh or fall out of your chair from shock):

Stevie Ray Vaughn - Kenny Wayne Shepard (1st CD was brilliant) - Enrique Iglesias (Insomniac is a great CD) - Ricky Martin - Blackeyed Peas - PINK (she freakin' RULES) - Extreme - Wolfram Huschke (cellist) - Vivaldi - Gaelic Storm - Steelheart - Justin Timberlake...

let the snickers commense