Does anyone listen to heavy metal/death metal anymore?

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phucheneh

Diamond Member
Jun 30, 2012
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Hell, that song they had on the radio a year or two ago was a little proggy. Or 'progmetally.'

Had to look it up - Buried Alive

Pretty goddamn decent song, actually. Not a lot of seven minute tracks getting regular radio rotation; when I heard this during the tiny bit of FM listening I do (when my mp3 player's battery dies and nothing is on NPR), I was somewhat impressed.
 

Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
41,301
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Well, obviously. All you have to do is listen to some of the better HM bands and you know there are a lot of listeners. It's always been a haven for some of the most inspired and talented musicians on the planet. The shear number of brilliant shredding HM lead guitarists is staggering.
 

gorcorps

aka Brandon
Jul 18, 2004
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That's just not a metal scream. It sounds like world's longest awkward orgasm.

When you say 'metal scream' the first thing that comes to my mind is something like This Calling. Okay, 'metalcore,' but I think screaming is part of the 'metal-'.

Even if you don't like ATR, I'd think you gotta admit it's a hell of an opening for an album.

Too bad their newest album is shit.

The Fall of Ideals (the album that track is on) is one of my favorite albums ever, and at the time ATR was one of my favorite bands. However, every album after that has gotten worse and the shit they came out with most recently is so god awful it takes away my love for their actually good stuff.

Such a shame... waste of good talent
 

VulgarDisplay

Diamond Member
Apr 3, 2009
6,188
2
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The Fall of Ideals (the album that track is on) is one of my favorite albums ever, and at the time ATR was one of my favorite bands. However, every album after that has gotten worse and the shit they came out with most recently is so god awful it takes away my love for their actually good stuff.

Such a shame... waste of good talent

There last album was recorded like absolute shit. There is literally no bass or mid bass in it. Strangest thing
 

phucheneh

Diamond Member
Jun 30, 2012
7,306
5
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Which one are you talking about?

Fall of Ideals was quite excellent, yes. I'm not huge on the 'metalcore' label; that album had a lot of melodic death metal influence. Plus some thrashier stuff. Good mix of elements.

Ovecome was the one that sounded like a pile of ass. Some of the songs were okay, but it was an extremely sub-par recording.

I liked For We Are Many. Not as good as Fall of Ideals, but a bit of a return to form. The Congregration of the Damned to their Death Grip on Yesterday, if you will (I <3 Atreyu, but they had a shit album in between two good ones, also).

That new (2012) ATR CD, though...glurg.
 

88keys

Golden Member
Aug 24, 2012
1,854
12
81
Don't think LaBrie is a great singer to be honest. He just mostly sounds like crap except for a few instances.
I kind of agree and kind of don't

He sounded great on Images and Words and Awake. But something happened after that and his voice really started going downhill with 6 degrees as the low point of his voice. It seems to have improved a bit with Octavarium. But it's still not what it used to be.

I can deal with less than perfect vocals because the skill of the entire band is what counts which is why DT is awesome.
 

phucheneh

Diamond Member
Jun 30, 2012
7,306
5
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I kind of agree and kind of don't

He sounded great on Images and Words and Awake. But something happened after that and his voice really started going downhill with 6 degrees as the low point of his voice. It seems to have improved a bit with Octavarium. But it's still not what it used to be.

I can deal with less than perfect vocals because the skill of the entire band is what counts which is why DT is awesome.

What happened: he got sick and ruptured his vocal chords.

IMO he's sounded fine on all the studio releases, though. But hell, I even like Falling Into Infinity (the one right after vocal chord incident and least popular album besides When Dream and Day Unite).

Live is hit and miss. I think he did a great job on Score, though. Highly recommend that DVD if you like DT at all. The live version of Six Degrees with the orchestra may just be the best thing ever recorded.

Random thought: Has anyone mentioned Porcupine Tree? They're not 'metal' as much as 'everything,' but they've had increasing amounts of metal in their progrock. And their singer, Steven Wilson, produced Blackwater Park and Deliverance/Damnation (this track is off In Absentia, first PT release after Blackwater Park came out). IIRC he credits Akerfeldt with influencing him to move his band (PT) toward a heavier sound.

PT's gradual development has led to some of the greatest musical compositions I have ever fucking heard.

edit: also, concerning DT...skill is not everything. Mike Mangini is plenty skilled, but the band is fuckin' dead without Mike Portnoy. Even if the latter wasn't one of the sickest drummers alive (he is), he was the driving creative force in that band.
 

Dedpuhl

Lifer
Nov 20, 1999
10,370
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edit: also, concerning DT...skill is not everything. Mike Mangini is plenty skilled, but the band is fuckin' dead without Mike Portnoy. Even if the latter wasn't one of the sickest drummers alive (he is), he was the driving creative force in that band.

Portnoy was the spokesman, salesman and super drummer. Petrucci is the real creative force behind the band. All of my favorite songs are written by him. The only Portnoy-written song that I really like is "Honor Thy Father." I don't even really care for the 12-Step Suite...
 

phucheneh

Diamond Member
Jun 30, 2012
7,306
5
0
Portnoy was the spokesman, salesman and super drummer. Petrucci is the real creative force behind the band. All of my favorite songs are written by him. The only Portnoy-written song that I really like is "Honor Thy Father." I don't even really care for the 12-Step Suite...

You're talking about lyrics. Judging contribution to DT by lyric writing is like judging a prostitute by how well she can juggle chainsaws.

...Portnoy was tits. That band lost their cohesiveness and drive without him. 'A Dramatic Turn of Events' is damn right...god what a shit album. They used to cut better stuff than what they actually released on that pile.
 

Dedpuhl

Lifer
Nov 20, 1999
10,370
0
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You're talking about lyrics. Judging contribution to DT by lyric writing is like judging a prostitute by how well she can juggle chainsaws.

...Portnoy was tits. That band lost their cohesiveness and drive without him. 'A Dramatic Turn of Events' is damn right...god what a shit album. They used to cut better stuff than what they actually released on that pile.

I'm talking about lyrics, music and overall sound. I think Portnoy's great and one of the best drummers ever. He was the loud mouthpiece (saw it firsthand when I met them backstage). Petrucci, though, seems to be the overall maestro of the band.

I had to listen to "A Dramatic Turn of Events" about 5 times before I starting liking it. If the next album sounds the same as ADToE, I think they are in trouble.
 

A Casual Fitz

Diamond Member
May 16, 2005
4,649
1,018
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You're talking about lyrics. Judging contribution to DT by lyric writing is like judging a prostitute by how well she can juggle chainsaws.

...Portnoy was tits. That band lost their cohesiveness and drive without him. 'A Dramatic Turn of Events' is damn right...god what a shit album. They used to cut better stuff than what they actually released on that pile.

No, Portnoy was good at what he did but when he stormed off they were very capable of writing quality material without him. A Dramatic Turn of Events is their best work since Octavarium.
 

phucheneh

Diamond Member
Jun 30, 2012
7,306
5
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Bahaha. No. ADToE is shitty songs with Petrucci being lazy, Rudess out of control, and Myung and Labrie just along for the ride.

And Watershed is excellent.
 

Dedpuhl

Lifer
Nov 20, 1999
10,370
0
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No, Portnoy was good at what he did but when he stormed off they were very capable of writing quality material without him. A Dramatic Turn of Events is their best work since Octavarium.

He didn't storm off. He left because he thought that Avenged Sevenfold would keep him as the drummer. That's why he crawled back to DT trying to get his job back after Avenged hired someone else.

Black Clouds and Silver Linings is very good...even though the momentum of the album is killed by the Portnoy-written "The Best of Times."
 

phucheneh

Diamond Member
Jun 30, 2012
7,306
5
0
He didn't storm off. He left because he thought that Avenged Sevenfold would keep him as the drummer. That's why he crawled back to DT trying to get his job back after Avenged hired someone else.

Black Clouds and Silver Linings is very good...even though the momentum of the album is killed by the Portnoy-written "The Best of Times."

What's wrong with The Best of Times? I thought that was one of the strong songs on the CD. Nice build, and guitar solo/outro is fucking epic.

Count of Tuscany is better, though. Rest of CD...kind of forgettable. Not bad, just not memorable (okay, Rite of Passage and Wither kind of blow). I honestly enjoyed the bonus covers more.
 

VulgarDisplay

Diamond Member
Apr 3, 2009
6,188
2
76
Been listening to the new Hatebreed album. It's decent, but not their best work.

Overall I like Parallax II from BTBAM more which I picked up at the same time.

So, it is now all of your mission to inform me about more bands like Opeth that I do not know about. Go.

Feel the need to post something to listen to for everyone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rKqd_EcyFk
 
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AFurryReptile

Golden Member
Nov 5, 2006
1,998
1
76
Been listening to the new Hatebreed album. It's decent, but not their best work.

Overall I like Parallax II from BTBAM more which I picked up at the same time.

So, it is now all of your mission to inform me about more bands like Opeth that I do not know about. Go.

Isis.

Amorphis.

Eluveitie.