\m/(~_~)\m/ Bring the Metal! \m/(~_~)\m/

I've listening quite a lot to Paradise Lost lately, one of my favourite things when I was a teenager far too fond of goth miserablism. They've had a curious career trajectory, they started out as basically starting out as a doom/death metal band, and then slowly reinventing themselves over each album, until they finally ended up as Depeche Mode. Then they started curving back and on the album that came out last year they're back to crunching guitars and mixing growling with the clean vocals.

There's stuff to like in all of the albums depending on where on that scale your tastes lie, unless you can't stomach oh-woe-the-world-is-terrible stuff without a Type O Negative style pisstake. One Second would be my recommendation, but here's a too long post that's probably going to bore you, sampling each of their albums in chronological order:

Lost Paradise - Actually, I lied about there being stuff to like in all of the albums. Lost Paradise was one of the pioneers in the doom/death metal genre, but it has not held up well at all. They're all pretty amateurish at this stage. Chief songwriter Mackintosh produces the occasional nice guitar line, but that's all.

I'm not even going to bother with finding an embeddable youtube clip of Rotting Misery, which is probably the least bad track on there.

Gothic - Now this is more like it. Greg Mackintosh has discovered that he can write things like melodies into songs, and they incorporate pretty female vocals for people who can't stand the the death metal grunting, which you can actually hear this time around. On the downside, we can pretty much blame this album for giving birth to the beauty/beast vocal stylings in metal.

Shades of God - This one one sits uneasily in between Gothic and Icon as a sort of transitional album. Vocalist Nick Holmes comes scarily close to singing on this one, but otherwise there's not that much progress. It does have their anthem As I Die though.

Icon - This one was their commercial breakthrough, and is widely regarded as their masterpiece by most metalheads. It's hard to argue when it has cuts like Ember's Fire, True Belief and Widow, even though it's a bit too morose and dirgy in the long run for me. Holmes finally drops the death grunt completely, thankfully, in favour of something more James Hetfield.

Draconian Times - Now they're basically a sadder, more morose Metallica. That's not necessarily a bad thing.

One Second - This was my first exposure to them, and for my money still the best thing they've done. Reportedly longtime fans were scared and confused by the fact that they're more goth rock than anything, and it seems someone let Dave Gaghan take over on vocals, but they're silly people and should be ignored.

Host - If fans howled with outrage at One Second, they got a collective aneurism with this one. There's hardly any rock in it, never mind actual metal. It's not bad, though even if they're not as good at being Depeche Mode as Depeche Mode are.

Believe In Nothing - Now the guitars are creeping back in, and they're dialing back on the synths, but they do seem a bit aimless on this one. Still some decent tracks to be found though.

Symbol of Life - Transitioning back more and more to metal. A bit of a bounce back after the slightly confused Believe In Nothing

Paradise Lost - Basically a continuation of the direction they took with Symbol of Life, although I find it to be a slightly weaker album personally.

In Requiem - And this is the point where they make it back into metal territory.

Faith Divides Us, Death Unites Us - and now almost back we're back full circle to Icon-style dirges, with the Hetfield style growling making a comeback. They still incorporate some of the tricks they picked up during their pop dalliance, so can't quite call it a retread.

I've recently been listening to Savatage. They start out very shrieky and by today's standards came across to me as almost metal parody. I think they peaked in 93-94 with Edge of Thorns and Handful of Rain and then from there do their transition into the sound that would become Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Has anyone suggested Amorphis yet? Because they're pretty awesome. Start with their newest stuff and work backwards.

I'm a fan of Kamelot. Symphonic Metal is never a bad thing

March of Mephisto

Ghost Opera

I revere Metallica and hate nu-metal. Since you asked for thrashy, I suggest these albums:

Trivium - Shogun. Why more people aren't influenced by James Hetfield's perfect metal singing, I'll never know. Here's the guy who rightly is.

In Flames - Whoracle. I can dig their new stuff, but it is somewhat nu. Their older stuff was more thrashy, and had awesome harmonized leads.

Shadows Fall - Of One Blood. I didn't like this album the first time through. Later, I gave it another shot and was blown away. Truly amazing.

I've also recently gotten into Opeth and the aforementioned Amon Amarth. Opeth is a unique progressive death folk metal band with 10 minute songs. Try to find the song "The Lotus Eater" for one of their more recent, rocking songs.

Podunk wrote:

Has anyone suggested Amorphis yet? Because they're pretty awesome. Start with their newest stuff and work backwards.

See my post on the first page.

boogle wrote:

Amorphis
Led Zeppelin
Stolen Babies
Dimmu Borgir
Kyuss
Acid King
The Sword

Right now I've had "The Sword" on continuous repeat in my car. I'm digging them something fierce.

Other stuff I've really liked:
Sabaton
Dark Moor
Elvenking
Earthless
Queens of the Stone Age
Motorhead

Quintin_Stone wrote:

Also, see this thread:
Suggest Me Some Metal

Quintin_Stone wrote:

Nothing is more metal than a group hug. IMAGE(http://rps.net/QS/Images/Smilies/headbanger.gif)

Good suggestions there too, but I really wanted to use the devil horn smilie in a thread title.

For thrashy and current, I'd suggest Shadows Fall. They are a fairly new band, but they bring back memories of classic Metallica and Megadeth.

Also along those lines would be Bullet For My Valentine.

I havent' seen Sevendust mentioned yet. They could be considered nu-metal, but they have a thrashyness (is that a word?) to them. Lots of aggression similar to Pantera, but they mix it with a lot of melodies.

I'll stop there. Otherwise I'll end up rambling on with another 1,000 band reccommendations

boogle wrote:

See my post on the first page.

Well done.

Sevendust is awesome, and a fantastic live band to boot. Their stuff can be a bit hit or miss, especially their last couple of discs, but they have a lot of very solid material. Depending on the day, Animosity is probably my favorite Sevendust album.

\m/(~_~)\m/

Magnificent.

Korpiklaani is another Folk/Metal. Heavy on the folk, but some great drinking songs.

Alien Love Gardener wrote:

awesome Paradise Lost dissertation

Yeah, everything he said is true. It's cool to see that someone else has been following them all this time! It's basically what I wanted to write but couldn't be bothered to, word for word, except I can't see anything good in Believe In Nothing, there's a reason they never play anything from it.

I've seen Paradise Lost some half a dozen times, they're easily my favourite group. I couldn't believe how great a return to metal they made with Faith Divides Us, Death Unites Us. Recommended a lot, really the only bad thing with them is that along with My Dying Bride they pretty much dreamed up gothic metal, which has seen some terrifying names under its banner.

Oh, if you like your stuff a little more doom and stonery try Alabama Thunderp*ssy.
Great name too.

As much as I like Anthrax, after listening to Greater of Two Evils, I can't listen to Joey Belladonna again and take him seriously in that band. Granted now the band can't be taken seriously at all.

MaxShrek wrote:

As much as I like Anthrax, after listening to Greater of Two Evils, I can't listen to Joey Belladonna again and take him seriously in that band. Granted now the band can't be taken seriously at all.

Bah, there is no true Anthrax without Belladonna!

You know Joey's back in Anthrax for their next album and tour, right?

I grew up on Black/Death Metal throughout high school, but only listen to the occasional doom/drone or post-metal.

Podunk wrote:
MaxShrek wrote:

As much as I like Anthrax, after listening to Greater of Two Evils, I can't listen to Joey Belladonna again and take him seriously in that band. Granted now the band can't be taken seriously at all.

Bah, there is no true Anthrax without Belladonna!

You know Joey's back in Anthrax for their next album and tour, right?

Yeah, I heard. But they still have that never-to-be-released Worship Music with Dan Nelson. It's best to admit that Anthrax has been dead for some time now.

MaxShrek wrote:
Podunk wrote:
MaxShrek wrote:

As much as I like Anthrax, after listening to Greater of Two Evils, I can't listen to Joey Belladonna again and take him seriously in that band. Granted now the band can't be taken seriously at all.

Bah, there is no true Anthrax without Belladonna!

You know Joey's back in Anthrax for their next album and tour, right?

Yeah, I heard. But they still have that never-to-be-released Worship Music with Dan Nelson. It's best to admit that Anthrax has been dead for some time now.

Well yeah, for about the last 20 years. IMO their last really good album was State of Euphoria, which was only their 4th, but still, those four albums made their mark.

EDIT: Forgot to say something... I see several videos getting posted for slow songs. The reason MrDevil started the thread was for music to use while playing Beat Hazard. Slow, quiet songs do not work well at all when playing the game, which I'm sure is why he asked for "thrash influenced stuff with lots of fast riffs".

Just sayin'.

Actually I think he was saying that Beat Hazard got him back into harder stuff and he was just looking for music. But yes, he did ask for thrashier stuff.

I love you guys. Not very metal to say but whatever, its good to be among folks with taste in heavy music. Iron Maiden and Dream Theater are coming to Fiddler's Green in Denver next month (I refuse to call it Comfort Dental Amphitheater), so to gear up I've been going through both of their discographies yet again. Man, they have some killer gaming tunes.

Found some new bands to investigate thanks to this thread

I've played Liquid Tension Experiment's Acid Rain on Audiosurf. It should fit with BH perfectly, imo, although it's not thrash.

garion333 wrote:

Actually I think he was saying that Beat Hazard got him back into harder stuff and he was just looking for music. But yes, he did ask for thrashier stuff.

Yeah, that. The Beat Hazard aspect was the free sample to get me hooked again. Of course I will be playing this stuff, but it's more for listening. And I want to pick up my guitar again, some of this stuff is really inspiring me, but most is well beyond my current, rusty, skill level.

So I got Children of Bodom Are You Dead Yet, and Mastodon Leviathan.

Both very cool stuff, but I find the vocals for Children of Bodom a little much, not bad just a little one dimensional. The music though is awesome. I'm sure the vocalist will grow on me. Mastodon is also very good, but compared to the stuff I've been listening to it seems a little muddy. Definite thrash influences, but I think the production on Leviathan isn't that great.

I gather with Meshuggah they reinvent themselves with every album, which should I look at first? I really like albums, rather than tracks. It's cool to see how a band's concept for their work unfolds in the course of an extended listen.

You probably picked the weakest Mastodon Album.
Blood Mountain and Crack the Skye are revelations in awesome, especially Skye.

Ah, alright. I just went for the one with Megalodon which is the vid Garion linked. I will check out Crack the Skye.

MrDeVil909 wrote:

Ah, alright. I just went for the one with Megalodon which is the vid Garion linked. I will check out Crack the Skye.

Yes! I could listen to Crack the Skye (the album) all day.

MeatMan wrote:
MrDeVil909 wrote:

Ah, alright. I just went for the one with Megalodon which is the vid Garion linked. I will check out Crack the Skye.

Yes! I could listen to Crack the Skye (the album) all day.

Can and have.

MrDeVil909 wrote:

Both very cool stuff, but I find the vocals for Children of Bodom a little much, not bad just a little one dimensional. The music though is awesome. I'm sure the vocalist will grow on me.

No, Alexi just isn't too good with the vocals. I don't think it breaks the music in any way, but it's bit of a shame. I guess being "the best metal guitarist in the world" compensates somewhat.

How about this forgotten classic: DRI- Dealing With It. 25 songs, just over 40 minutes or so total running time.

boogle wrote:

You probably picked the weakest Mastodon Album.
Blood Mountain and Crack the Skye are revelations in awesome, especially Skye.

I know people who would argue otherwise. I myself prefer Blood Mountain. Bladecatcher is probably my favorite song of theirs (god, I can't find another studio version of the song on youtube).

MrDeVil909 wrote:

Ah, alright. I just went for the one with Megalodon which is the vid Garion linked. I will check out Crack the Skye.

And I picked that song specifically because it wasn't as catchy as their newer stuff ... and has that guitar breakdown right before the heavy riffing. I love that. I figured if you liked that then you'd certainly love the rest of their stuff.