Your Hero in metal...

[Carcassian]

Just recently, there has been a lot of talk on here about the legacy of metal greats Quorthon and Chuck Schuldiner - both (rightly) recognised for their contriubtion to metal. It set me to wondering - are there any other metal "personalities" that you would greatly mourn if they passed on?

I was thinking in terms of a personal "top three", and the reasons why.

Mine would be: (in no order)

Martin Walkyier (Sabbat, Skyclad) - For writing hands down the best, most thought provoking and intelligent lyrics in metal. Also, for having stuck to the theme of metal for such a long time, when it clearly wasn't paying his bills or making his life any easier.

Ken Owen (Carcass, Blackstar) - For being the first drummer since Lombardo that actually made me notice how great his drumming was. Plus, he seems like a super great guy, and was the drummer for the single best band of all time. He's also a great fighter against adversity.

Mike Amott - (Carnage, Carcass, Arch Enemy, Candlemass, Spiritual Beggars) - Because I love to hear his unabashed adoration of old school metal set to music in his soloing, and because every band he has been in has had at least one killer album, even if he was the guitarist on "Doomsday Machine".

 

[IOfTheStorm]

Walkyier could be my hero too, but the guy turned out to be a giant douche. Not only he left Skyclad because "they didn't make enough money" (which i would understand, but what were the other members of the band, the stupid guys of the case?. Also thats a ridiculous excuse from the guy who wrote the lyrics in "Prince Of The Poverty Line" and songs like "Penny Dreadful"), but he was spotted by many doing cocaine before/after Skyclad gigs, so i suppose he had money for cocaine and not paying his bills? Sure.

Anyway Buddy Lackey and Dan Rock of Psychotic Waltz are two musicians i maybe admire above many, as musicans and personalities . And Jason Becker. And Wino.

 

[Carcassian]

Walkyier could be my hero too, but the guy turned out to be a giant douche. Not only he left Skyclad because "they didn't make enough money" (which i would understand, but what were the other members of the band, the stupid guys of the case?. Also thats a ridiculous excuse from the guy who wrote the lyrics in "Prince Of The Poverty Line" and songs like "Penny Dreadful"), but he was spotted by many doing cocaine before/after Skyclad gigs, so i suppose he had money for cocaine and not paying his bills? Sure.

Anyway Buddy Lackey and Dan Rock of Psychotic Waltz are two musicians i maybe admire above many, as musicans and personalities . And Jason Becker. And Wino.

Wow. I did not know that.

Still, my choice stands - the lyrics are still awesome!

 

[CF87]

Shania Twain

 

[Carcassian]

Shania Twain

Greys, don't be a cunt. I know you have opinions - you spout them often enough. Which musicians / vocalists would you miss most?

 

[Mort Divine]

Well let us see here.

Daniel Gildenlow
While some may find his lyrics cheesy, some may find his voice annoying, and same may think his band is overrated to all hell, I find Daniel to be one of the single greatest musicians in all of (once) metal, and now Prog. rock. He can write music that is intricate but not overly flashy, and emotional but not too sappy.

He may not be a shredder like Ing-wee, or even, Ron Jarzombek, but he can play the guitar with such flair and charisma that one can never doubt his overall talent on the instrument. If you doubt him for a minute go listen to "Void of Her" or "Falling."

As a vocalist, I feel he earns his "hero" status most in my mind.

Daniel leads this band, no one can dispute that, but it isn't his guitar work that does the leading, he leads the band, quite sucessfully with his voice. It is his voice that determines wether a song is going to fail or not. He has the voice of a God, it is so beautiful, and not to mention technically sound. He has a 3.5 octave range, at the very LEAST, if you count the fact that his falsetto sounds like natural singing, and that he has said he has yet to show us his full vocal range, then you are looking at about a 4 octave range, which is above even Halford or Mercury, who are undisputedly amazing vocalists.

If you doubt this mans range, you only have to listen to The Perfect Element, and then Reconciliation for his vocal extremes, and if you doubt his lack of passion and beauty, just turn to Reconciliation, Iter Impius, or Omni.

I can say that, to me, he is the epitome of the term artist, for everything he does personifies beauty, strength, and individuality.

I have a few more, but for now that is all I will post.

 

[Carcassian]

^^ Nice answer.

 

[unknown]

Alan Nemtheanga of Primordial gets my vote. The lyrics and concepts he writes about resonates so much with how I feel towards the world. That even though it seems all hope is lost and all that bleak nonsense, we can still put up a hell of a fight and (in his words) "maybe, just maybe, we'll take a few of them down with us".

 

[Carcassian]

Alan Nemtheanga of Primordial gets my vote. The lyrics and concepts he writes about resonates so much with how I feel towards the world. That even though it seems all hope is lost and all that bleak nonsense, we can still put up a hell of a fight and (in his words) "maybe, just maybe, we'll take a few of them down with us".

Again, a good choice.

 

[Susperia]

^I'd agree with that, if I knew more about him. Anyone want to send me a link to an interview with him??

I really respected Quorthon and when he died, I honestly cried that day.

Another person in Metal I have respect for (wouldn't say he is my hero, by far) is Dio- I just love all his energy and outlook on life, plus his music is pretty good.

People I used to respect but don't anymore would be Danzig and Tarja Turunen. Danzig hangs out with too many porn stars and gets into too many fights these days, and Tarja is a bitch now.

I don't know many musicians when it comes to extreme Metal. They keep themselves fairly distant... I guess I don't have enough interest in any yet to go searching.

 

[The Devil's Steed]

Daniel Corchado

Excellent song writer, and he's also a pretty cool guy from what I've seen.

 

[Susperia]

Oh and I forgot Peter Tagtren!

He's such a dedicated musician and a workaholic---- He's done so much in his life already and I know he'll do so much more. I'm quite proud of him, heh.

 

[Carcassian]

I've never been a big Tatgren fan. I can see why you might be though.

Susperia - have you heard any skyclad ?

 

[Susperia]

No... I suppose I should?

 

[Mort Divine]

Alright.

Here is one that will shock a few people, due to my slanderous comments on the band he is mainly from.

Mike Portnoy.

Another person whom I feel embodies a true artist. His drumming skills are almost unparalleled, and are the one thing in Dream Theater that are constantly amazing. They always fit the basics of the song, but are always amazing and almost unfathomable as to how the man does such things with his drums.

He has done amazing work outside of DT, most notabley in my view, are Transatlantic and LTE. They both show that he can do almost any kind of music and with an amazing drive to do so.

One other thing that makes me respect him, not really so much as a musician but as a person, is the fact that he is a recovered alcoholic. He was in so deep that most people in his stage would have never recovered, but he made a full life turn around, and is now doing quite well with his once problem.

 

[Carcassian]

No... I suppose I should?

Yeah, you should. AIM is down for me at the moment. When I get a free day, I'll forward you an MP3 or two. I'll be away on the piss at the weekend in Krakow, and doing the Auschwitz experience.

Maybe next week, ok?

And Boo - yeah, another (couragious?) choice - I can see you rationale there.

 

[Kenneth R.]

Dan Swanö. no explanation necessary.

Gildenlöw - Not only is he one of the best voices around, a top notch guitarist, songwriter, and innovator, but he is also a brilliant mind. The articles and essays he's written clearly show he's a thinking man, and makes no compromises when it comes to what he believes.

 

[Carcassian]

Dan Swanö. no explanation necessary.

Gildenlöw - Not only is he one of the best voices around, a top notch guitarist, songwriter, and innovator, but he is also a brilliant mind. The articles and essays he's written clearly show he's a thinking man, and makes no compromises when it comes to what he believes.

...and Ken, your third choice ?

 

[Kenneth R.]

i'm thinking dammit

 

[Mort Divine]

Alright, my third.

Anders "Blakkheim" Nyström

When one releases an album like Dance of December Souls, you really can not question the ability of the man behind the work. Known mainly for his work in Katatonia, Anders has also been a part of three other bands, all of which were amazing. Bloodbath, Diabolical Masquerade, and Bewitched.

Wow. This guy is one of THE most versatile musicians you will ever find on this planet.

He played doom/death in the beginings of Katatonia, then moved along into a somber rock sound. In Diabolical Masquerade, he played a schizophrenic and paranoid brand of experimental melodic black metal, which alone would have convinced the world how great he was, had Katatonia never existed. In Bloodbath, you have the amazing and crushing riffs that are pure fucking brutality, Cancer of the Soul has to be my favorite Bloodbath song that was penned by him, and with good reason. It is catchy but heavy as fuck.

Now lastly, Bewitched. This is probably the band that Anders is least known for, but should never be forgotten. He did vocals and I believe guitars on one of their albums, and what an amazing album it is. Diabolical Desecration is a throw back to bands like Venom and Celtic Frost, but with an odd twist of Iron Maiden. Doesn't sound like it would work? Yeah, it sure sounds like it would fucking fail, but it somehow works, and Blakkheims vocals compliment the songs he does them on perfectly.

If I wanted to skip all the above banter and sum this man up in one word, there is only one that actually would ever make sense: Genius.