Metal Thread VI: We're So Kvlt, We Have Frostbite On Our Devil Horn Fingers

[Nomrom]

They're touring now. If you act quickly, you may not have to

In any event. Go. See them live. They're orders of magnitude better in concert than they are on a studio album.

EDIT: They're headlining a show within walking distance of my apartment next tuesday As if I needed another excuse mandatory obligation to spend money this month.

EDIT 2: They're sold out. Hm. My wallet is happy. The rest of me is

Well dang they apparently just played in Houston two days ago and have now left the state of Texas. That sucks. Looks like I'll have to wait to see them.

[Moff Chumley]

Since we've established that no one here likes stoner doom or similar genres, I thought I'd introduce a band I recently encountered called Mars Red Sky (you may have encountered that phrase before).

I've read them described as "psychedelic rock band playing on a doom metal band's instruments," and they're at least notable for being a french band that plays neither post-rock, black metal, shoegaze, or any combination thereof.

>mfw dat name


In any case, while this isn't doing all that much for me on a sober Friday morning, it strikes me as being ideal under other circumstances. I'll report back once further testing has been done in a more auspicious setting.

[Zocelot]

I got a chance to see Eluveitie live and I just want to comment that Anna Murphy's scream toward the end of Quoth the Raven is perhaps the sexiest thing I have ever seen out of a folk metal band. She's just this tiny little thing that goes from 1-to-11 in no time flat. Awesome.

That is literally my favourite female scream in all of music. And it just comes out of nowhere. It's beautiful.

[grimbold]

I actually am a huge Prog fan. I even linked "The Count of Tuscany" a page or two back in the "list essential material from your favorite genres" mini-discussion. I don't mind longer compositions, I just like them to have more twists and turns to them.

woah
i'm listening to that album literally right now!

[cleric_of_BANJO]

Well dang they apparently just played in Houston two days ago and have now left the state of Texas. That sucks. Looks like I'll have to wait to see them.

That's funny, I actually had the 'pleasure' of seeing them last year when they toured with Amon Amarth. I say funny because everyone here who is a huge fan of them seems to be unable to see them live, and I really don't like them (like, a lot) and I did see them live. And yes, I am being purposefully annoying

Yeah, they weren't great. I'm not a fan of them because of their core influences, and the fact that I don't like the "metal" part of their "folk metal." Sure, they can play the heck out of those classical instruments, but they can't seem to be able to write a memorable guitar riff to save their lives. Anyway, I saw them live, and was unimpressed again. The sound system didn't seem to support their instruments well (which is weird, because Amon Amarth sounded stellar), and so there was a lot of loud squeaking. It sounded like they were out of tune, but I know they're all talented musicians, so I'm gonna go ahead and assume it was the sound system. I guess the acoustics also weren't really meant for that type of instrument anyway.

[eyeofsaulot]

That's funny, I actually had the 'pleasure' of seeing them last year when they toured with Amon Amarth. I say funny because everyone here who is a huge fan of them seems to be unable to see them live, and I really don't like them (like, a lot) and I did see them live. And yes, I am being purposefully annoying

Yeah, they weren't great. I'm not a fan of them because of their core influences, and the fact that I don't like the "metal" part of their "folk metal." Sure, they can play the heck out of those classical instruments, but they can't seem to be able to write a memorable guitar riff to save their lives. Anyway, I saw them live, and was unimpressed again. The sound system didn't seem to support their instruments well (which is weird, because Amon Amarth sounded stellar), and so there was a lot of loud squeaking. It sounded like they were out of tune, but I know they're all talented musicians, so I'm gonna go ahead and assume it was the sound system. I guess the acoustics also weren't really meant for that type of instrument anyway.

I, too, saw Eluveitie simply because they were on the bill (though this was nearly 4 years ago). I have to agree that the folk aspect was far better than the metal aspect. That said, their fun, enthusiastic stage presence helped cover up the deficiencies of the music.

By contrast, in that same gig, Ensiferum's disinterested, lazy stage presence helped cover up the awesomeness of the music.

I don't think that the music is everything in a live setting. I mean, I saw Alestorm live once (because they were opening for Tyr) and sure, the music sucked, but that was a damn fun show.

[Feytalist]

They're touring now. If you act quickly, you may not have to

Well now. When they finally deign to come tour in South Africa, you let me know, mkay?


Their brand of folk metal is really more folky than metally, but I enjoy that too. They do have a few heavier songs as well. Bloodstained Ground comes to mind. As for Helvetios, it's... hmmm. It's good. I just can't point to a single part of the album that I really enjoy. But they seem to incorporate female vocals more and more, which is cool.

[Moff Chumley]

So Baroness, Meshuggah, and Decapitated are swinging through town on the same bill in May. $40. Shall I or shan't I?

[Whoracle]

So Baroness, Meshuggah, and Decapitated are swinging through town on the same bill in May. $40. Shall I or shan't I?

You shall. If you won't, then please trade lives with me for the time

[toasty]

In any event. Go. See them live. They're orders of magnitude better in concert than they are on a studio album.

I'm not sure if I can agree with this. I will say, however, that Circle pits don't form in your apartment building. Probably.

[QUOTE=cleric_of_BANJO;12797158]That's funny, I actually had the 'pleasure' of seeing them last year when they toured with Amon Amarth. I say funny because everyone here who is a huge fan of them seems to be unable to see them live, and I really don't like them (like, a lot) and I did see them live. And yes, I am being purposefully annoying

he sound system didn't seem to support their instruments well (which is weird, because Amon Amarth sounded stellar), and so there was a lot of loud squeaking. It sounded like they were out of tune, but I know they're all talented musicians, so I'm gonna go ahead and assume it was the sound system. I guess the acoustics also weren't really meant for that type of instrument anyway.

They sounded fine when I saw them. Must have been the venue. ****ty sound is ****ty sound. Last time I saw Children of Bodom they sounded god-awful and the crowd was really bland. Then I saw them again and was very impressed.

@Anna Murphy's screaming, etc: I dunno, doesn't seem as amazing to me. I feel like a lot of people are like "OMG A GIRL SCREAMED SHE IS BADASS" while I'm more like "meh, people scream in metal." Its ... well constructed, I suppose, but the fact that its a girl screaming doesn't make it any more special IMO.

Well now. When they finally deign to come tour in South Africa, you let me know, mkay?

This makes me feel bad because I know they've been to India, but not South Africa.

Annnd, Iced Earth plays tomorrow night. Nope. No way I can do that. I've been to three Concerts this week, a metal concert, a indie-rock concert, and a bunch of random bands playing at a UT campus Co-op, I don't think I can A) afford it B) have the energy to keep this up. Plus,yeah... I should probably try to do school this week.

I do think I'm going to see The Sword (and maybe High on Fire) sometime soonish though.

Also: the Messugah concert is only $30 here. Probably not going though. Crucify me later.

[Moff Chumley]

Tickets are thirty, ticketmaster fees bring it up to forty. Will probably swing by the venue and pick 'em up by hand if possible.

[Triscuitable]

Alright, nobody here is a fan of my favorite bands.

Has anyone heard of Fantasy Metal? It's a subgenre that's credited to Daisuke Ishiwatari, who composed the soundtracks to Guilty Gear, and other ASW fighters.

The music combines synthesizers with heavy guitars, drums, and a wicked bass. It gives the music a very "fantastical" (hence the name), feel. You may also remember the music if you played I Wanna Be the Guy.

But I urge you, this shouldn't be shrugged off because it's from a game. The music is actually really good. The plot, however, never makes sense. Seriously, don't even try and understand the plot.

At least listen to one song. Please? It's excellent stuff.

Oh, and I'm heading to ComiCon later this month. I believe there are a few bands who are going to be featured prominently there. Nothing anyone here, myself included, has heard. But I'm open to anything, with few exceptions.

[toasty]

But I urge you, this shouldn't be shrugged off because it's from a game. The music is actually really good. The plot, however, never makes sense. Seriously, don't even try and understand the plot.

At least listen to one song. Please? It's excellent stuff.

Oh, and I'm heading to ComiCon later this month. I believe there are a few bands who are going to be featured prominently there. Nothing anyone here, myself included, has heard. But I'm open to anything, with few exceptions.

I sang along, aloud, live, to the Pokemom song when Powerglove preformed that. I think you are among friends here.

edit: Also, im not sure if all of those songs really classify as metal.

[Triscuitable]

I sang along, aloud, live, to the Pokemom song when Powerglove preformed that. I think you are among friends here.

edit: Also, im not sure if all of those songs really classify as metal.

Depends on the way you view metal. Plus, it's a foreign subgenre. You think all countries have the same view on music? Japanese metal is a very distinct, especially with the incredibly bizarre "Candy Metal", which is basically what you get when you cross Earth and Hatsune Miku.

[toasty]

You think all countries have the same view on music?

No. But Metal in India, the USA, and Finland are all the same. They might play different styles, or subgenres, but metal is metal is metal. Just like Hip-hop is hip-hop.

[Triscuitable]

No. But Metal in India, the USA, and Finland are all the same. They might play different styles, or subgenres, but metal is metal is metal. Just like Hip-hop is hip-hop.

Right. As said before, it's the Fantasy Metal subgenre. Which the composer of above music created. You've likely never heard metal like that.

The term metal can be stretched. Is Sunn O))) metal? Everyone else thinks so, so I don't see why this isn't either. It certainly wouldn't have named a subgenre if it didn't.

[toasty]

Right. As said before, it's the Fantasy Metal subgenre. Which the composer of above music created. You've likely never heard metal like that.

The term metal can be stretched. Is Sunn O))) metal? Everyone else thinks so, so I don't see why this isn't either. It certainly wouldn't have named a subgenre if it didn't.

Nu-metal isn't metal according to some mind you. ;)

I don't consider Sunn O))) metal.

But bleh, I begin to see your point. I'll leave it be. It was good music.

[Moff Chumley]

Oh lord, here we go.

There are two ways you can look at metal. There's the one I see lots of in this thread, which is "metal is pure and kvlt and tr00, and everything I like is metal and everything I don't isn't", and then there's the "metal is a type of music" point of view. I do not like Korn. Not one bit. But are they metal? Sure, why not. I don't much care for Eminem, but I'm not going to call him "not hip-hop". He might not be hip-hop I like, but by all reasonable definitions, he's certainly hip-hop.

I understand that a lot of you guys don't care much for Sunn O))). That's great, but that doesn't mean they're not metal. While genre lines are subjective by definition, I don't think the whole "well that's just, like, your opinion, man" cop-out really works in this case.

What's your definition of metal that doesn't include Sunn O)))?

To me, metal is thick, chewy, heavy, loud, distorted, and generally intended to be evocative. There are quite a few bands I quite enjoy, including Sunn O))), that fit that bill, as well as quite a few I do not care for.

And if Sunn O))) isn't metal, then I guess metal isn't all it's cracked up to be.

[ex cathedra]

Has anyone heard of Fantasy Metal? It's a subgenre that's credited to Daisuke Ishiwatari, who composed the soundtracks to Guilty Gear, and other ASW fighters.

The music combines synthesizers with heavy guitars, drums, and a wicked bass. It gives the music a very "fantastical" (hence the name), feel. You may also remember the music if you played I Wanna Be the Guy.

It sounds pretty much indistinguishable from heavy metal with synths. Nothing about it strikes me as terribly unique, but I guess that explains why you like it.

The users over at last.fm (crowdsourcing my info because I'm lazy) seem to suggest that 'fantasy metal' is a meaningless derivation of a meaningless derivation of power metal. And that Daisuke fellow is generally regarded as making some combination of j-rock and heavy metal.

[Triscuitable]

It sounds pretty much indistinguishable from heavy metal with synths. Nothing about it strikes me as terribly unique, but I guess that explains why you like it.

I like the mainstream. Mainstream metal is good, or it wouldn't be that way. Of course, I won't be asking Metallica to write anything else like Load, Reload, and St. Anger, but I enjoy a deviation from the norm. Plus, Justice is pretty awesome. Just started listening to it today.

And never trust Last.fm commenters. They're half as ravenous as YouTube commenters, and about a quarter unhelpful as are most 4chan /v/ anons.

[Faulty]

Hey BANJO, you ever listen to Midnight? Speed/thrash Satanic Venom worship. It's great.

I'm not a big fan of black metal, but goddamn I loved Darkthrone's FOAD.

My sister, on the other hand, being a huge black metal fan, was horrified.

I'd imagine because it's an vntrve album. It's basically a fusion of Darkthrone with 80s metal, rock and punk. Darkthrone has always done whatever they want and I love it, though. People who are horrified by new Darkthrone need to chill out.

So Baroness, Meshuggah, and Decapitated are swinging through town on the same bill in May. $40. Shall I or shan't I?

If you think $40 is worth it for Baroness, show up for Baroness, buy some merch after their set, then leave.

[lady scream shenanigans]

Re: girl's screaming. No woman (or man or otherwise gendered person) will ever top Runhild Gammelsæter. SRY GUYS

At least listen to one song. Please? It's excellent stuff.

This is really just rock or heavy metal with some weird-ass synth pop admixture or something. I don't think "fantasy metal" is really a genre.

Depends on the way you view metal. Plus, it's a foreign subgenre. You think all countries have the same view on music? Japanese metal is a very distinct, especially with the incredibly bizarre "Candy Metal", which is basically what you get when you cross Earth and Hatsune Miku.

I'm pretty sure "candy metal" isn't a genre either.


Anyway, I'm guest blogging on a friend's blog now. I posted my first review recently, covering Blood Cult's We Who Walk Behind the Rows. Check it out.

[Triscuitable]

This is really just rock or heavy metal with some weird-ass synth pop admixture or something. I don't think "fantasy metal" is really a genre.

It's as much of a genre as Drone Metal. It's a subgenre of metal, and those reach ad infinitum. If you really want to test the limits of Metal subgenres, pick thirty verbs, and thirty adjectives. Now Google those words as a prefix to "Metal".

You will be amazed.

I'm pretty sure "candy metal" isn't a genre either.

Candy metal is just a terminology. The weird stuff that happens when you combine the lighthearted, fluffy, unintelligible music of J-Pop with J-Metal. Seriously. Weird. Stuff. It's got no name, but the pop is "Candy" music, and it's J-Metal. Thus, "Candy Metal". That's what I call it, and I stray from it with a ten-foot headphone jack.

[ex cathedra]

I like the mainstream. Mainstream metal is good, or it wouldn't be that way. Of course, I won't be asking Metallica to write anything else like Load, Reload, and St. Anger, but I enjoy a deviation from the norm. Plus, Justice is pretty awesome. Just started listening to it today.

For something to be mainstream, it has to appeal to a large group of people. That has very little to do with quality and a great deal to do with accessibility. Quality in most forms is subjective, but accessibility is pretty cut and dry.

And never trust Last.fm commenters. They're half as ravenous as YouTube commenters, and about a quarter unhelpful as are most 4chan /v/ anons.

Yeah, people who post stuff on last.fm, I really just don't get them. I'm not talking about the comments, I'm talking about the tag system, which is actually quite extensive.

If you think $40 is worth it for Baroness, show up for Baroness, buy some merch after their set, then leave.

This reminds me. Toasty mentioned seeing The Sword and High On Fire, and all of these things are vaguely linked in my head since I saw Baroness with High On Fire a while back (when they opened for Opeth) and I vaguely recently paid ~$20 to see Kylesa and Rwake open for The Sword. I left in the middle of The Sword's set, though, because it was kind of weak and wayyy too Black Sabbath-esque for me. The More You Know!~~~

It's as much of a genre as Drone Metal. It's a subgenre of metal, and those reach ad infinitum. If you really want to test the limits of Metal subgenres, pick thirty verbs, and thirty adjectives. Now Google those words as a prefix to "Metal".

Candy metal is just a terminology. The weird stuff that happens when you combine the lighthearted, fluffy, unintelligible music of J-Pop with J-Metal. Seriously. Weird. Stuff. It's got no name, but the pop is "Candy" music, and it's J-Metal. Thus, "Candy Metal". That's what I call it.

The difference being that Candy Metal, etc, is indeed what you call it, but that doesn't mean that it's commonly accepted. For example, I could describe a random band (e.g. Metallica) as a random genre (e.g. Mediocrecore) but that unfortunately doesn't make mediocrecore a thing.

[cleric_of_BANJO]

The difference being that Candy Metal, etc, is indeed what you call it, but that doesn't mean that it's commonly accepted. For example, I could describe a random band (e.g. Metallica) as a random genre (e.g. Mediocrecore) but that unfortunately doesn't make mediocrecore a thing.

...Still more accurate than calling them Metal. I can't explain how much I hate when I say I listen to Metal, and someone goes, "Oh, so you like Metallica and System of a Down, right?" Oh my Lemmy, that just drives me nuts.

And Faulty, I hadn't listened to them, but I will now look them up on MA and download an album, because that sounded awesome.

[Triscuitable]

The difference being that Candy Metal, etc, is indeed what you call it, but that doesn't mean that it's commonly accepted. For example, I could describe a random band (e.g. Metallica) as a random genre (e.g. Mediocrecore) but that unfortunately doesn't make mediocrecore a thing.

You have to insult them? If it weren't for them, metal wouldn't be half as popular as it is today. Other bands would have to carry the weight of the genre. You can combat that, but Megadeth wouldn't exist, thrash metal would likely be known as a fad, and too much to consider. You owe too much of the genre to them to even be so inconsiderate. Sure, their music post-Load wasn't fantastic, it was decent. But anything before that?

Oh, and I'm sure the Butterfly Effect would make sure Iron Maiden and Earth never existed too.

If I were to call "Candy Metal" anything else, it'd be too long to describe. Thus, I call it such to save my poor fingers in their time of carpal-tunnel induced need. It really boils down to that.

[Moff Chumley]

If you think $40 is worth it for Baroness, show up for Baroness, buy some merch after their set, then leave.

That's what I was thinking, yeah. >.>

I like the mainstream. Mainstream metal is good, or it wouldn't be that way. Of course, I won't be asking Metallica to write anything else like Load, Reload, and St. Anger, but I enjoy a deviation from the norm. Plus, Justice is pretty awesome. Just started listening to it today.

So Thriller, Dark Side of the Moon, Back in Black, and The Bodyguard soundtrack are your four favorite albums?

If it weren't for them, metal wouldn't be half as popular as it is today.

So?

Other bands would have to carry the weight of the genre.

If there had been no Metallica and Witchfinder General or something was considered the canonical metal band, I'm unconvinced that'd be anything but awesome.

In any case, being popular and influential does not preclude being intensely mediocre. See also: The Eagles. In fact I'd be perfectly content to call Metallica The Eagles of metal.

...but not The Eagles of Death Metal.

[ex cathedra]

...Still more accurate than calling them Metal. I can't explain how much I hate when I say I listen to Metal, and someone goes, "Oh, so you like Metallica and System of a Down, right?" Oh my Lemmy, that just drives me nuts.

Well, that will likely always be a thing, because a great deal of metal subgenres are niche by nature and so it's highly unlikely that the unwashed masses will ever even be conversationally familiar with how intricate the umbrella genre of metal happens to be.

You have to insult them? If it weren't for them, metal wouldn't be half as popular as it is today. Other bands would have to carry the weight of the genre. You can combat that, but Megadeth wouldn't exist, thrash metal would likely be known as a fad, and too much to consider. You owe too much of the genre to them to even be so inconsiderate. Sure, their music post-Load wasn't fantastic, it was decent. But anything before that?

It was just an example. How popular the genre is has absolutely no effect on me. I could care less about the existence of Megadeth, I think that thrash metal was a fad, and an artists influences are pretty meaningless in the first place. I don't think that the American constitution is terrible because several of its creators were slave-owners. I don't think that Charles Manson's singer-songwriter career is messed up just because some people think he may have broken a couple of laws. I don't think that Metallica is worth listening to just because Some Band I Like(tm) listened to them.

Oh, and I'm sure the Butterfly Effect would make sure Iron Maiden and Earth never existed too.

>suggesting I care about Iron Maiden.
Metallica almost certainly had less of an effect on most of the metal that I like than Black Sabbath, and I'm not a huge fan of Black Sabbath, either.

[Crow]

...Still more accurate than calling them Metal. I can't explain how much I hate when I say I listen to Metal, and someone goes, "Oh, so you like Metallica and System of a Down, right?" Oh my Lemmy, that just drives me nuts.

You would have been really pissed had you seen the article I read: Top 10 Metal Albums of All Time, written by...some jackass I can't remember who writes unoriginal columns.

CoB's Follow the Reaper came in at number 5. Number 1 you ask? System of a Down's Toxicity.

edit: Hey now, Thriller, Back in Black, and Dark Side of the Moon are all respectable albums!

[Moff Chumley]

I don't think that Charles Manson's singer-songwriter career is messed up just because some people think he may have broken a couple of laws.

The controversy about Charles Manson is about whether or not he's responsible for The Family's murders, not about whether or not he's a criminal. If I recall correctly, quite a few counts of robbery, auto theft, rape, pimping, and of course, scientology.

But that's not why his singer-songwriter career was messed up, it was messed up because he was a mediocre songwriter and a godawful singer.

edit: Hey now, Thriller, Back in Black, and Dark Side of the Moon are all respectable albums!

I adore Thriller and Dark Side of the Moon. Back in Black, on the other hand... better than The Bodyguard, but not by all that much.

[ex cathedra]

The controversy about Charles Manson is about whether or not he's responsible for The Family's murders, not about whether or not he's a criminal. If I recall correctly, quite a few counts of robbery, auto theft, rape, pimping, and of course, scientology.

Oh yeah, well, maybe that's just what the man wants you to think.

But that's not why his singer-songwriter career was messed up, it was messed up because he was a mediocre songwriter and a godawful singer.

Well, yeah, he's certainly no James Hetfield.