Toa

There are hundreds of bands out there that are superior to Alter Bridge in every thinkable way, so you did him a favor, no doubt. I just heard a (I'm assuming relatively) new Avril-single today. While the "rock"-part of her music was as generic as can be, I was kind of surprised she'd seemingly abandoned it completely.

Never checked out Shinedown before. Devour kind of reminds me of Devin Townsend's Depth Charge (or is it Random Analysis? I forget) at times, except more straightforward. It's decently catchy and never actively bad, but I thought it was fairly standard. >,>

I mostly listen to Japanese stuff these days, and I don't speak Japanese, so yeah. The majority of other bands I listen to mainly sing in English or Danish/Swedish/Norwegian, so that's not a problem. French Prog Rock band Nemo is really the only band I can think of that has lyrics that I don't understand (despite having had French for years. >_<) and that I actually wish I did. Kalmah isn't a folk metal band, is it? Granted, I haven't heard all that much of their stuff, but it sounded very Children of Bodom-y.

Andromeda Annihilator Arcturus Baroness Circus Maximus Communic Cryptopsy DéspairsRay Dir En Grey Dream Theater Fair To Midland Fish (the guy from Marillion) x 3 Gallhammer Holmgang Iced Earth In Gowan Ring Inme Iron Maiden Jimmy Page/Robert Plant Kill The Thrill Kylesa Loch Vostok Manticora x 5 Mew x 3 Moonlight Agony Nightlight Saga Scar Symmetry Serj Tankian Skitliv Suede Type O Negative Turisas Týr x 3 Vesania Visceral Bleeding + a handful more that I either can't or won't think of

Most old platformers that were fun back in the day are still fairly entertaining now, I'd say. Super Mario Bros. 3 was the first game I ever played, and every time I pick it up, it still has a magical feel about it that, to me, transcends mere nostalgia. It exudes greatness. >_> Most fighting games have aged horribly, though. I can't think of a single pre-Tekken 2 fighter that I'd be able to pick up and not end up disappointed by. I just played Final Fight a couple of days ago, and that one is, unfortunately, a good five or ten years past its expiration date. Goldeneye doesn't really feel like it used to, either, but it's not yet completely obsolete. It is getting there, though.

Eternal Elysium - No Isolation - Japanese stoner rock. They've been goin' for a while, but this album - their most recent - is the only thing I've heard from them. Pretty rockin' stuff, but not something I listen to all that often unless one of their songs happen to pop up on shuffle. Blotted Science - Activation Synthesis Theory - Listened to the album for the first time a week ago or so, and I'm really likin' it - it might be the best instrumental metal CD I've heard. This is a very trippy, very cool song, and one of the highlights. Calmando Qual - Insanity - Japanese industrial/goth rock rock band, according to last.fm. It's getting pretty good now, towards the end of the song, but otherwise it's kind of boring. Faith No More - From Out of Nowhere - The first time I listened to The Real Thing I thought it was one big joke, since the vocals were just ridiculous, especially considering how good they were on Angel Dust. I eventually grew to like the album, but I'm still not a fan of Patton's voice on it, particularly not on this song, although I always get a kick out of listening to it. Wayd - Dawning - Pretty good song by one of the best, most innovative and most underrated Death Metal acts out there. An Cafe - Smile Ichiban Ii Onna - I wouldn't be caught dead listening to this, but dammit if it isn't catchy as hell. >_< Nobuo Uematsu (I'm assuming) - Don of the Slums (Final Fantasy VII) - Not really a song fit for, well, anything, when taken outside of FF VII-context. Still, Don Corneo is the man. King Diamond - The Candle (live in '87) - King Diamond is just about the only good thing to come out of the Danish metal scene, but to be fair, he is about as awesome as you can get. Great performance of a great song. Type O Negative - Life Is Killing Me - People seemed pretty disappointed in the Life Is Killing Me-CD, but I always thought it was good, and I've been listening to it a lot lately. This, the title track, may not be Black # 2 or an all-time classic, but it's still a really fun listen. The Birthday Massacre - Looking Glass - Catchy. I like it. Not sure how I ever started listening to these guys, though.

I steer clear of J-Pop, since just about every J-Rock band out there makes me feel like I'm moving dangerously close to that dreaded "guilty pleasure"-territory, and I shudder to think which unwanted emotions J-Pop might instill in me. Dir En Grey's probably my favourite Japanese band (it's a close race between them an Sigh), but I was pretty let down by their latest offering - it had way too much unintelligable Engrish ("fuck" is about the only English word Kyo is capable of pronouncing properly), way too much screaming, and not as much variety as their other albums. It wasn't a complete abomination - it never becomes boring and it is pretty catchy - but there's only one song on there that I really like. Their newest single is the shit, though, so I'm very much looking forward to their next release. Lately I've been listening to a lot of Greenmachine. Pretty rad Stoner Rock-y stuff.

Arcturus Butter Your Bacon Coaltar of the Deepers Dream Theater Emperor Faith No More Gallhammer Hizaki Grace Project Immortal King Crimson Limbonic Art Malize Mizer Nightmare Opeth Psychotic Waltz Queensrÿche Rentrer En Soi Spock's Beard Tool Ulver Versailles Watchtower X-Japan Yes Zero Hour Can't think of a band that I listen to that starts with a J. >_<

They have some okay melodies, a competent vocalist and a formula that works, although it's dangerously close to being insultingly repetitive. The Deep Shadows...-CD is the only album of theirs I would ever consider listening to again, and chances of me doing that are very slim, but I don't particularly dislike the band. The fact that some of their fans now think there's a genre called Love Metal annoys me a ton more than HIM's music. Shadows, not Shallows. Oops.

Emperor - Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk Death - Symbolic Iron Maiden - Number of the Beast Ministry - Psalm 69 Dir En Grey - Vulgar Marillion - Misplaced Childhood Manticora - Hyperion Ulver - Bergtatt Tool - Lateralus Faith No More - Angel Dust In no particular order. There's a good handful of other albums I'll probably regret not putting on there in a minute or two, but the list changes so often that it doesn't really matter. Angel Dust and Lateralus are probably my decisive top two, though.

You need to listen to more Sigh, seriously. "Gallows Gallery" is one of the most innovative metal albums of the 21st century, and their other stuff isn't much further behind. How you can arrive at 7/10 for such an excellent band is beyond my comprehension - they are the most accessible "black metal" act out there.

1. Dream Theater 2. Sigh 3. Ulver. Or Manticora. Perhaps Arcturus? I dunno - it changes around a lot. I haven't heard the new Dream Theater album yet, but I think the first single kicks a decent amount of rear end, and I'm very much looking forward to when it comes out. It'll probably be the first album I've bought in about a year or so, I must shamefully admit.

I can't say it makes any difference to me, but I do love his little stab at her abilities as a lyricist. As already mentioned, Evanescene really isn't as much an actual band as it is Amy Lee ft. some musicians, so I'd be surprised if it really ends up having any affect on the, er, "group".

Iced Earth -- 8/10. I like 'em a lot, although I'd also rather have Barlow than Owens. I don't listen to them nearly as much as I should, really, because they're quite awesome. Hammerfall -- 5/10. Their music is nothing offensive, but it doesn't captivate me. Catchy and fun to listen to at times, though. Nevermore -- 8/10. Really awesome group; I like all of their releases, their latest in particular. Took me a while to get into 'em, but it paid off. Symphony X -- 7/10. Their talent is undeniable, and I enjoy listening to their music, but there's just something about their sound that rubs me the wrong way. I don't necessarily feel the music lacks soul or personality, but it does all feel a tad mechanical, in a way. Wintersun -- Haven't listened to it enough for me to really have an opinion on 'em. Kamelot -- 5/10. Solid, but not for me, I don't think. Ensiferum -- 5/10. Some catchy stuff here and there, but nothing special. Edguy -- Haven't listened to enough for me to really have an opinion on 'em. Dream Theater -- 10/10. The only group whose songs I can constantly find something new and exciting in despite having heard them a hundred times before. My favourite band by a mile, I'd have to say. DragonForce -- 5/10. Fun to listen to for a while, but gets tiresome and repetitive faster than most bands I can think of. Down -- Haven't listened to 'em in many years. Wasn't really my type of thing back when I heard 'em for the first time, but then again, I'd just begun discovering Metal at that time, so perhaps I should check 'em out again one of these days. Blind Guardian -- Same as with Down, although I've heard more from these guys, and I actually liked it quite a bit - I just haven't felt compelled to listen to 'em in a good while. 3 Inches of Blood -- Only listened to Deadly Sinners, which was decent fun. Bands I haven't heard much of In Flames - 3/10. I've never been able to see the appeal - their older stuff is, to me, mostly forgettable, while their newest stuff is downright bad. Suidakra - Never even heard of 'em. o.o Necrophagist - Haven't heard an entire album's worth of songs yet, but what I've heard has been good stuff.

While I'm sure there's tons more, Scatman John and some of Korn's stuff (plus Untouchables in its entirety) is all I can think of right now.

Ones I will be watching are bolded

Pretty fun idea. I'm just gonna do a handful now, but I might make a more extensive list in the future if I get bored or something. >_> Arcturus - The Chaos Path Burzum - Dunkelheit Cryptopsy - Phobophile Dream Theater - Metropolis, Pt. 1. One could also make a strong case for Pull Me Under, though Emperor - I Am the Black Wizards Fear Factory - Replica Iron Maiden - Run to the Hills Manticora - Cantos Sigh - Corpsecry Angelfall Tool - I'm pretty torn between Sober and Stinkfist here, but I'll probably go with the latter, since that was the first song that came to mind when I thought of them Ulver - I Troldskog Faren Vild. Ulver has about fifty signature songs, I'd say; this one just so happens to be the one track I associate with 'em

Disillusion sound somewhat like Opeth. Their "Back to Times of Splendour" album might've been the best Extreme Metal release last year. Can't help ya with any o' the other bands.