I’ve always been something of a metal fan–stuff like Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, et al.–but lately, I’ve started to feel that it’s not fast and heavy enough. Pantera is very close, but still, I want something heavier.
Based on what I’ve heard on Spinner, I picked up “Cruelty and the Beast” by Cradle of Filth. It was love at first listen–this is easily the best album I’ve ever heard. I want more like it.
I’m also going to pick up albums by Deicide and Morbid Angel, again based on what I’ve heard. I’m thinking that their respective albums “When Satan Lives” and “Covenant” are my most likely choices.
But that’s not gonna be enough. I’ll want more, I know it. So what else is out there that I should check out?
Nile.(samples) I swear these guys make Cannibal Corpse sound like the Spice Girls. Although not super heavy all the time you might like Opeth, they are heavy at times but also sort of atmospheric. If you are into faster stuff Borknagar hase some nice stuff as well.
Mayhem, Entombed and Napalm Death are about as heavy as I’ve heard. They are death metal bands though.
Some punk bands are pretty haradcore too. Check out Unsane or Suicidal Tendencies to start.
Of course, someone will come along with the real underground hardcore stuff that makes this look like Kenny G
In Flames is good, though I only have one of their albums. I did see them live with Iced Earth a few months ago and they were killer. Iced Earth might be another band you would like but I’m not sure if they are heavy enough for you. I’d also say Motorhead, but again may not be heavy enough for you. Then again I do not know what you concider hard so Motorhead, if you don’t have anything by them, could be right up your alley.
I discovered Opeth via a “recommend me some music along line X” thread of mine a few months back, and I am very, very glad I did. (First disc in a quite awhile that I listened to, and decided to get the rest of ther output.) They don’t really match the hard and fast mode you’re after, though.
Topically: I’m not that big a fan of death metal in general (give me slower and atmospheric heaviness), but Carcass’ “Heartwork” is pretty damn good.
Napalm Death is pretty good. Also check out Sevendust.
If you want METAL metal, you can’t just get any Suicidal Tendencies. Their first (self-titled) album was skate punk. Their later stuff is still heavy but laced with Funk and Groove (Freedumb). The really good metal is How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can’t Even Smile Today, Lights, Camera, Revolution, etc. But even this stuff, great music that it is, isn’t quite as heavy as Kill 'em all and nothing like Cannibal Corpse (that whole necrometal thing isn’t for me. I like the vocals to have, well, vocals. Not just guttural growling. And the subject matter just doesn’t do it for me).
You might look into G.G. Allin and the Murder Junkies, too. Old, but pretty hard. Though not on the same level as some of these others. But how many metal singers cut themselves onstage? :eek:
If it’s speed and pounding you’re looking for, I’d have to second Nile. (I’ve only heard a few of their songs; does their drummer even know anything other than the blast?) Fear Factory is quite heavy, and their vocalist can both sing and roar
Well, thanks for all the responses. If I don’t address you, don’t be offended; I’m just emptying my thoughts as they come.
jk1245: Eventually I’ll be looking for punk recommendations as well. But that’s another thread for another time. Suicidal Tendencies are definitely cool.
Sacrilegium: Heavy and slow could definitely work, if it’s done right. I’ll check those out too.
Edward the Head: I definitely don’t like Motorhead. While I appreciate the fact that they were an influence for pretty much every metal band in the early 80’s, I just don’t care for their music.
Joe_Cool: Any particular Sevendust you’d recommend?
I have actually only heard a few samples and don’t have any of their disks yet so I can’t give a definite yes or no but what I heard sounded good.
Napalm Death I have Diatribes and one other and they are both pretty good. ND are usually held up as the poster child for the genre known as ‘grindcore’.
I’ll second Carcass - Heartwork is nice.
In Flames RULE. I have most In Flames disks and Whoracle and Clayman are particularly good. You can even watch a webcast of concert by clicking the links at the bottom of this page.
If you want to hear lots of bands check out some of the (very LOW PRICED) samplers available. I suggest the Identity series and Bloodlines from Century Media, White from The End Records, or the Deathmeister series from Metal Blade Records. Another good place to look for bands are some of the million or so tribute albums out there. A Call to Irons by [Dwell Records/URL] is really good.
You know who you might like is a band called Rage. No that’s not Rage Against the Machine, they are called Rage. They are from Germany and have been around for a long time. I’ve got two of thier albums, one called Black in Mind and the other I can’t remember off the top of my head. They are pretty heavy, but finding stuff in the States might be a bit of a problem.
I’d still check out In Flames though, a lot of people seem to like them, I’m only so-so about them.
Others that I have thought of, though I don’t think they are what you are looking for would be: Gamma Ray, Helloween (especially the early stuff and then the later stuff), Oh and Arch Enemy, I saw them at MetalFest a few months ago, not my style but they were really heavy and the singer is really cute. I think they may be what you are looking for.
Plenty of excellent recommendations. Here are a few of my own, if I may. In Flames - Whoracle/ Jester Race (melodic death) Arch Enemy - Stigmata/ Burning Bridges (melodic death) Shadows Fall - Of One Blood (melodic death) Dragonlord - Raputre (black/thrash) - side project of Testament musicians. The Crown - Hell Is Here/ Deathrace King (death/thrash/speed) The Haunted - The Haunted/ The Haunted Made Me Do It (death/thrash/speed) Entombed - Wolverine Blues/ To Ride, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth (death n roll) Carcass - Heartwork (death) Napalm Death - Diatribes/ Enemy of the Music Business (death/grind/groove) Opeth - Blackwater Park (progressive death) Sonata Arctica - Silence (power metal) Blind Guardian - Somewhere Far Beyond/ Imaginations from the Other Side (power metal) Meshuggah - Chaosphere (precision death aka “mathmetal”)
A lot of good music coming out of Europe these days, especially Sweden. Don’t forget your old standbuys either, Halford just put out an excellent sophomore disk and if you havent picked up Brave New World from Iron Maiden you’re missing a metal classic…
Sepultura are a good band, although lately they have turned hardcore/metal. I recommend the middle records such as Arise and Chaos AD. Roots has its moments but it kinda marked the end of the band…
Someone mentioned Angela, the new lead singer for Arch Enemy. Yeah, the latest AE album is okay, not their best by any means. She is nice to look at, don’t get me wrong but the band presents her as a floozy - her publicity shots in a crop-top with her hand down her biker shorts… I prefer Rachel the new lead singer for Sinister. Their latest album, Creative Killings is probably the most intense death metal that you will find…
I’m surprised no one’s mentioned Iron Maiden yet. If you like In Flames, it’s a pretty sure bet you’d like Maiden (and vice versa).
I’d also like to toss in a couple other suggestions: Children of Bodom and Bal-Sagoth. Both can be sampled at Nuclear Blast Records’ website, along with plenty of other metal bands of varying quality and popularity. Bal-Sagoth is pretty heavy, but a little pretentious–imagine metal ranging from Maiden to Slayer, accompanied by orchestration that sounds like it belongs in a Conan movie, with song titles like “The Splendour of a Thousand Swords Gleaming Beneath the Blazon of the Hyperborean Empire Part III: Cry Havoc for Glory, and the Annihilation of the Titans of Chaos!” A bit of an acquired taste, but among my favorites.
Children of Bodom are less unorthodox, and definitely worth checking out.
Whoops. Didn’t see that there was already a Maiden recommendation. Brave New World was a surprisingly good reunion record (I realize it wasn’t exactly a “reunion” record, but it was the first Maiden recording with Bruce Dickinson vocals in many a year). I’d suggest Powerslaveas their finest work, but there’s a lot of other good ones as well.
Lockfist, did you happen to catch Maiden when they toured with Halford (oh, and Queensryche as well) two years ago to support Brave New World? One of the best live shows I’ve ever seen–they played a two hour set that was just amazing.
