What's the first thing you want to hear?

[buzzardbutt]

When you listen to a knew band or song, what's the first thing you want to hear that's badass and keeps your attention.
I ask because I've heard some songs that I wish the intro was different or not even their.
sometimes I need to get the feel of the whole of it all to enjoy it.
What's your take?

 

[buzzardbutt]

Usualy if I don't like the vocals I will never listen to the band again, even if I really like all the music and solos.

 

[Death Animal]

Guitars and vocals ofcourse.

 

[Trans-Siberian Outcast]

Songwriting is number 1 priority for me; melodies and hooks that stick in my head and make me want to play the album again. There are tons of four-star bands/albums out there, but to achieve a gold pedestal in my hallowed hall of fame requires superior songwriting.

Key factors for me are monster riffs and emotional solos, and no growling/grunting/barking from the mic stand. Tempo is also a factor. I don't mind speed metal tempos if used sparingly, but if a band bases their whole delivery on how fast they can play, I get bored. My philosophy is you can only play so fast before it ceases to be music and just becomes noise. Same with extreme vocals; you can only get so abrasive before you cross the line between music and an intentionally silly Sesame Street muppet.

That said, superior songwriting can negate the pet peeves I have in metal. Examples are: early Metallica and Megadeth riffs overpowered the shitty vocals, the brilliance of Orphaned Land and Devin Townsend force me to accept growling despite my dogged resistance, and catchy songwriting keeps me coming back to Dragonforce's Inhuman Rampage despite it's over-the-top speed and repetition.

 

[Wyvern]

Intro, vocals and the whole song.

The intro is vital it defines if something starts alright, usually what starts fine ends fine. To me is the "bait", to catch my attention.

The vocals is a must be for me since I'm allergic to growlers, screechers and some vocal types.

Finally the song as a whole review, sometimes I find annoying choruses, silly music changes or other elements that may kill a song mood.

 

[poundingmetal74]

Vocals. If they suck, it really doesn't matter how good your guitarist is.

 

[No-Mercy]

mainly the mood/atmosphere of the music. vocals used to matter when i said i hated anything and everything that wasnt clean vocals...now that doesnt have an effect. however still good vocalists make it. if a vocalist sucks it will usually ruin the song/album much more than a mediocre 2nd guitar player, or a mediocre repetitive-beat drummer wil.

i have a huge problems with bands/albums that start off with a slow song though. god i hate that. intros can be great: epica's CTB album, kamelot's Karma album, guardian's NIME album. all have intros, but the kickoff song isn't slow. i am immediatly seperated from the music and usually get 2 bored to listen when its a slow tempo song to kick it off.

 

[Bryant]

Although I play a little guitar........ I always say 98% of the time the general songwriting followed by the vocals makes or breaks the song. Once in a blue moon there are exceptions..... but I have to say that is the biggest things for me.


Bryant

 

[TRrEiTxIxRiE DTrash]

CHORUS.

Generally on first listen I skip to the chorus of each track, if I don't like the chorus I pretty much won't like the song. With some exceptions of course, but yeah usually it's all about the chorus for me.

But more broadly, the vocal melodies are most important... Of course including the chorus hook, but in those exceptions where the chorus ain't great, I at least need a REALLY good verse hook to make me like the song.

 

[TRrEiTxIxRiE DTrash]

Oh and by the way, I'm a bass player myself, but there has to be no way in hell anybody could pick "Bass" as their answer haha.

 

[Chimera]

It depends much on the genre we talk about.
Classic / heavy - the whole song
Progressive - production, solos, and voice
Thrash - Riffs, their power and how much catchy they are
Death - see Thrash
Glam - read Trixxi explanation

 

[carnut]

Vocals are most important to me. A guitar player can be a bit worse or better, but bad vocals ruin the music for me.

 

[Narcosynthesys68]

A well written song is the what I notice first and foremost...

 

[buzzardbutt]

My best friend can listen to something and love it, but once he reads all the lyrics, that determins weather or not he'll evr listen to that song or cd again. He refuses to listen to 'Blind Guardian's-Night at the Opera' because he said he didn't understand some of the lyrics and some of the songwritting was also bad. But he did like the music.

 

[Wyvern]

he said he didn't understand some of the lyrics

Buy him a dictionary (ANATO rules!)

NP: Manticora - 'Filaments Of Armageddon'

 

[buzzardbutt]

Yeah it was the weirdest things he said " I don't know what the hell he was talking about half the time."
I really don't care what the lyrics say as long as the band kicks ass and the vocals go with the music, I'm cool.
there are a lot of band I don't like because the vocals are going one direction and the music is going another.
It's fuckin annoying.(Pardon my french)
I've heard some pretty heavy stuff and then the vox kick in and don't match the music, The band is like "Yeah, You're gonna DIIIIIE!!!!!!!"
But then the singer comes in with "I miss you baby, I'm dying and sound like a baby seal gettin' clubbed, waaah waah waaah."
I can't listen to it.

 

[Angel witch oggi]

It's all to do with feeling.
You don't have to hack away at a song, just 'cos you're a metal band.
Production plays a main part, if you're listening to vinyl, CD
ect..Hearing a band live is pretty much, what you see is what you get, providing the guy on the desk has ears!
I'm not saying, all the stuff i did was A1,(infact it was crap) but thats another story!!!
EG: listen to Toni Iommi and Glen Hughes " a whiter shade of pale" melodic but class, or see....wait for it. Celine Dion &
Anastasia Vid, AC/DC's you shook me all night long,on....
http://www.Myspace.com/Dayvog Ok.i know it's not metal. But You might get my drift.

 

[buzzardbutt]

That's true, Angel Witch sounded badass live.
The music was full, there was no background silence.
If you listen to Elvis old recordings when he first started out his songs sounded empty, like there were instruments missing form the songs. I hate that so much, I'm an Elvis fan too.
That and he needed a better guitarist too, Those solos weren't that good. A lot of guitarists back then had the sound of that era. I love that rockabilly music.
But you know me, I love all kinds of music.
CHEERS!!!

 

[Fangface]

I'd vote "general mood" as the feeling and the whole atmosphere are what matters the most to me, even though I'm also pretty much a vocal guy when it comes to heavy metal.
Bring on the good singers again, I'm getting sick of all these grunters.

But vocals suck in Bathory and I still love them, it's part of the charm. I'm listening to Primordial right now and I have the same kind of feeling...

 

[Bryant]

It depends much on the genre we talk about.
Classic / heavy - the whole song
Progressive - production, solos, and voice
Thrash - Riffs, their power and how much catchy they are
Death - see Thrash
Glam - read Trixxi explanation

Ya know that was a great reply. I rarely forget about the producer/engineer, but much of the "old" stuff I listen to this day has great production. Production has as much to do with a band's sound as any member.


Bryant