Looking for metal. Got some?

Cafe Society
1

Many moons ago, I used to be the headbanging teenager watching Headbanger’s Ball. It’s with a kind of pride that I cite Beavis and Butt-head as my major musical influence during my teen years. However, as Metallica and local radio started to suck, I started to drift and I like a lot of other music now.

However, I was listening to college radio late one night and heard this amazing guitar riff. “Whoa!” says my inner Beavis. “This sounds like…speedmetal!” (listen to “Metal Tyrant” by Seven Witches and you’ll see). And then the drums kicked in. Classic heavy metal drums. I felt a stirring.

So I need some suggestions. Here’s some bands I’ve found myself listening to recently.

Warmachine
Nightwish (well, I liked them before now, but ya get the picture)
Seven Witches
Iced Earth
Symphony X
Blind Guardian

I’m not really looking for Pantera-ish shrieking/shouting or thrash. I listened to, say, Poison the Well, and it didn’t do it for me.

2

Well, from your list, you’d probably like Savatage and Helloween, both of whom are still around. Nevermore gets a little thrashy–not as much as Pantera, though–and a lot of people who like the bands you mention like them. Dead Heart In A Dead World, from a couple years ago is pretty good–hard and heavy as hell, but a lot smoother sounding than Pantera. Nevermore’s latest offering is merely okay. Rob Halford, of Judas Priest fame, has done a lot of good stuff in the last few years–his albums with Fight and those he’s released under his own name–and is now back with Priest again. They should have a new album soon. And speaking of good Eighties metal (as opposed to the decade’s glam/hair “metal,” which I despise), Iron Maiden is still cranking them out. Um, most of the other new metal I’m listeng to these days belongs in the thrash camp, which you said you’d prefer to avoid. I’ll list more bands later if I can think of any and if time allows. Right now I’m way past my bedtime. Have a great night!

3

I hafta agree with Mephisto. You can’t go wrong with Savatage. A few bands in the same vein as Nightwish … Without Face, Rain Fell Within, Tristania, Lacuna Coil, and the older cd’s from The Gathering. If you like the old Queensryche type of stuff, try Quiet Room, Magnitude 9, and Psychotic Waltz. Even after 16 years I still have trouble keeping Crimson Glory’s first cd out of my player and I’d recommend that to any metalhead. As far as more popular new bands go, I really like Disturbed’s Believe cd. If you like prog stuff, Dream Theater and Fates Warning are a must !

4

Actually, I thought about recommending Disturbed as well, but it was a bit “nu-metallish.” I know a lot of classic metalheads that really hate Disturbed. I myself think they’re great. Another one is Godsmack. Lacuna Coil is pretty good. I heard them described once as “an Italian Type O Negative with a female singer,” for whatever that’s worth. And, though I got the impression that GMRyujin wanted something a bit faster, I bet he would like Type O Negative themselves, at least musically. I know I do, although I think some of their lyrics render what could be great metal into something a little too corny.

5

Thanks so far guys. And I am a TON fan, I’ve got all their albums.

6

After Forever (Decipher)
Agalloch (The Mantle)
Amorphis (Elegy)
Anathema (A Fine Day To Exit)
Arcturus (The Sham Mirrors)
Demons & Wizards (Demons & Wizards)
Dream Theater (Train Of Thought)
Evergrey (Recreation Day)
Falconer (Chapters From A Vale Forlorn)
Falkenbach (Magni Blandinn Ok Magintiri)
In Extremo (Sunder Ohne Zugel)
Inkubus Sukkubus (Vampyre Erotica)
Into Eternity (Into Eternity)
Jag Panzer (Mechanized Warfare)
Kamelot (Epica)
Nicodemus (The Supernatural Omnibus)
Onward (Reawaken)
Opeth (Morningrise)
Power Symphony (Evillot)
Rhapsody (Power Of The Dragonflame)
Sentenced (Crimson)
Spiral Architect (A Sceptic’s Universe)
Theatre Of Tragedy (Velvet Darkness They Fear)
Therion (Vovin)
Thyrane (Hypnotic)
Vintersorg (Cosmic Genesis)
Winds (Reflections Of The I)
Within Temptation (Mother Earth)

I second the recommendations for Rain Fell Within (Refuge), Savatage (Poets & Madmen), Lacuna Coil (Comalies), and Nevermore (Dead Heart In A Dead World).

7

Thanks guys. I’ve listened to quite a few of these and all of you who suggested Lacuna Coil…WOW! Thanks! I like em more the more I listen. I do like Nevermore, but I need to hear more. Still checking out most of the rest.

8

A lot of recommendations so far. It’s hard to pick when you’ve got so many choices. I highly recommend Opeth, a progressive death metal band. Slight misnomer but you know how labels go. One of my favorite speed/power metal bands is Sonata Arctica. Although Helloween are the real innovators in this genre (with all due respect to Maiden).

In order to really get a good idea of what is out there you should consider listening to Snakenet Metal Radio. The streaming audio is broadcast at 128bits and there is a wide selection of metal playing continuously.

Free Legal MP3’s from Century Media are located here.

Metal Blade MP’s here.

Relapse Records here. Be sure to check out Amorphis - later albums being more accessible than earlier material.

Don’t forget that MTV2 is has resurrected Headbangers Ball.

Let us know what you like and I’m sure we can come up with more specific recommendations.

Hails,

Lockfist

9

I’ll have to agree, you can’t go wrong with Savatage. Unless your first idea is to pick up Fight for the Rock.

You should try the End Records, they have a lot of good music, they are cheap, and have free shipping. So far the best album I have gotten this year is Balance of Power, Heathen Machine.

Most of the others have give some good bands, and I can’t give many more except things like Virgin Steele, Gamma Ray, Iron Saviour and Rage. Most of those bands will be hard to find in the States though.

10

I’ve never been able to get into Savatage, but I defer to their obvious popularity in metal circles.
GMRyujin, if you’re not familiar with Bruce Dickinson’s solo work, I would urge you to check out his Accident of Birth and Chemical Wedding. They are a godsend to old school metallers in this day of thrash and Cookie-Monster death metal.

11

As far as some seriously hard music with an old school touch, I would have to say Soilwork is some of the best stuff to come down the pike in years.

Essentially they are a metal band with keyboard that have these old school anthem sounding choruses. I can’t really explain them, just go listen to “figure number five” or “natural born chaos”.

Amazing shit.

12

BTW those are albums not songs.

13

I highly recommend the two albums Judas Priest did with Ripper Owens, Jugulator and Demolition. I’m actually kind of sad to see him go.

Instead of waiting around for Guns 'N Posers to finish their alleged album, I think the rest of the original band should get back together and hire The Ripper to sing. Fuck Axl.

14

Here are (IMHO) the best metal bands still making records right now:

All of them combine the best elements of melodic/speed/growly metal.

Iced Earth (new one out January 13th)
Soilwork (latest album - fall 2003)
In Flames (new one out March 30th)
Into Eternity (new one out February 10th)
Opeth (latest album fall 2003)

Opeth is (IMHO) the best metal band in existence today without a doubt. Get Blackwater Park and you will see.

15

I thought that Morningrise was better than Blackwater Park, but there’s no denying that Opeth is totally sweet.

16

Strapping Young Lad
Meshuggah

17

With all due respect: no, no, no, no, no! Judas Priest is a hundred times better with Rob Halford behind the microphone. Although Ripper Owens is a fantastic singer, I am very happy to see Rob Halford back with Priest. Different strokes for different folks, though, and no offense intended! I am sure Ripper Owens will do an excellent job with his new band, Iced Earth (not that Iced Earth is a new band, just that Ripper is new to it). Actually, Iced Earth is an excellent contemporary metal band that I’m sure GMRyujin would like. I would also like to add my recommendations to those for Bruce Dickinson and Opeth. Bruce Dickinson’s Chemical Wedding and Accident of Birth are both exceptionally good metal albums. And Opeth has yet to put out something I don’t like. However, it should probably be said that, unlike the other metal albums I’ve talked about, Opeth mades heavy use of the “Cookie Monster” vocals that so many people hate. In fact, I hate them, too, usually, although I’ve made an exception for Opeth. I think of the band as “progressive death metal,” for lack of a better term, and they really do kick ass.

18

I’ve heard many people state the same. Wish I could get past the death metal vocals, too; Opeth strike me as a fine band.

19

I was going to come in here and post a huge list, but I’ve been beaten to virtually every band I was going to mention. So I’ll settle for seconding a few of these bands:

Opeth - Truly one of the greatest bands out there. I didn’t like the growling (“Cookie Monster” vocals) at first either. But once you’ve listened to the songs a few times while reading the lyrics, you’ll get to understand them and appreciate them a lot. If you still don’t like the growling, you might want to check out their latest CD, Damnation. Not heavy at all, but a masterful album, nonetheless. I’m sure some would disagree with me on that, though.

In Flames - The lead singer does quite a bit of screaming and growling also, but they are just so damn good! My favorite albums from these guys are Colony and Clayman.

Amorphis - These guys started out as a seriously dark Doom Metal band, and have…heh…morphed into something truly amazing. They released two albums with a guy who just growled, then for Elegy (one of the greatest metal albums EVER EVER EVER) they picked up a guy for clean vocals, and they took turns throughout the album. They do primarily clean vocals now. From the OP, I think you’d best like Tuonela, although I really like their latest called Far From the Sun.

Angel Dust - These guys are from Germany, and do straight up Power Metal. They kick so much ass live it’s impossible to describe. Albums to check out: Enlighten the Darkness, Bleed, Of Human Bondage.

Katatonia - I don’t really know a lot of their older stuff, but their last three albums (Discouraged Ones, Last Fair Deal Gone Down, and Viva Emptiness) are all great. Especially Viva Emptiness.

Lacuna Coil - My brother gave me a mix CD of this band and I had to go out and buy every album they’ve done. Absolutely brilliant. Unleashed Memories and Comalies are two CDs that have been in my rotation for over a year now. And the girl they have doing lead vocals is really sexy, too. :wink:

Nevermore - These guys are one of the first real metals bands I discovered a few years ago, and they remain one of my favorites. The Politics of Ecstacy and Dreaming Neon Black are still two of my favorites, although I really like Dead Heart, in a Dead World. Their newest one, Enemies of Reality, is an excellent workout CD, in that most of it just mindlessly heavy (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

Symphony X - I know you said you were already listening to these guys. I’d just like to say that their newest CD The Odyssey is absolutely amazing.

Vanishing Point - I just discovered these guys a few weeks ago when I got a copy of Tangled in Dream. I really like them. The lead singer sounds like Dan Swano, but I’m not sure. Check them out.

Wow, that went on a lot longer than I thought it would! Good to know that there’s a few other metalheads here on SDMB.

20

Hey Lord Ashtar, are you a Sentenced fan? They did pretty much the same thing Amorphis did–started out really heavy, and morphed into a prog metal band.