(Un)Official Metal Thread

[DFF]

I'm not usually a fan of the genre, but from what I've heard of it I'm quite impressed with V: Havitetty by Moonsorrow. Some of the musicianship and arrangement is fantastic, even if I'm not a fan of black vocals.

Could anyone recommend me similar stuff like this? (I'll give other black metal stuff a chance, but if there's any with cleaner vocals that'd be great).

[Bastard_Of_Bodom]

Dimmu Borgir had a good release this year and so did Behemoth. If your lookin for black/death metal Nile had a good release as well. Belphegor and Marduk are always good. But if you want awsome black metal listen to some Emperor

[DFF]

Dimmu Borgir had a good release this year and so did Behemoth. If your lookin for black/death metal Nile had a good release as well. Belphegor and Marduk are always good. But if you want awsome black metal listen to some Emperor

Thanks, I'll check them out.

In other news, my mate played me some Diamond Head when round at his the other day. Gotta say, they are great from what I've heard so far. I can see why Metallica like them so much. The influences are clearly heard too. (Best example I've heard so far is that the main riff from 'Seek and Destroy' is very similar to a DH track called 'Sucking My Love'. The latter is a fantastic song).

[Liam]

Finally got some Dodheimsgard (sp?) and some Gallhammer, and really impressed with both. I kinda drift in and out of extreme metal, but this is some good shiste.

[sirdavinator]

!T.O.O.H.! is pretty damn good from what I've heard. They've broken up now, but their final album Ràd a Trest was a masterpiece. Recommended to fans of...metal. The vocals might be annoying for some though. Another great band to come out of the Czech Republic IMO.

Edited January 7, 2008 by sirdavinator

[Bushmeister]

Could anyone recommend me similar stuff like this? (I'll give other black metal stuff a chance, but if there's any with cleaner vocals that'd be great).

[Farmer Reil]

I've just been recently checking out some band that I am really enjoying. The ones that have topped my list thus far are:

Turisas (They do a cover of Rasputian!)

Kamelot

Einherjer

Flotsam & Jetsam (late 80's)

Helloween

Cellador

Evergrey

Human Fortress

Doomsword

They are mainly focused on just great music and none of that throaty death metal singing, god I hate death metal. Its mostly power metal and viking metal.

[Guest Ant]

Any Dragonforce fans here? Cosmic War album is awesome

[lari]

Metal-rules.com's top 20 metal albums of 2007.

Here's the top 10 with personal comments in italics:

1. Nightwish - Dark Passion Play (I agree, liked it lots. Would have been my #3 pick)

2. Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos (didn't hear this one - haven't been following DT since Train of Thought, which I didn't like)

3. King Diamond - Give Me Your Soul... Please (didn't hear this either - the only KD I know is from the Dangerous Meeting compilation)

4. Amorphis - Dark Waters (quite good, although maybe not as good as Eclipse and maybe not a top ten album)

5. Behemoth - The Apostasy (haven't heard)

6. Gamma Ray - Land of the Free pt 2 (one of my favourites - only second to the new Chris Caffery)

7. Megadeth - United Abominations (didn't hear. Kind of haven't been into Megadeth that much for over a decade now. I remember listening to Youthanasia when it first came out...)

8. Helloween - Gambling with the Devil (a very nice release, great solos, borderline top ten or maybe low teens)

9. Iced Earth - Framing Armageddon (another good entry - quite a difficult release to get into though. I'd probably rank it just outside the top ten)

10. Symphony X - Paradise Lost (didn't hear)

Edited January 19, 2008 by lari

[Skummy]

Hurray, I've not heard any of those albums! It seems very wanky guitar solo and power metal and DRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGONS based, though, so I doubt I'm missing anything. Except maybe King Diamond.

My personal favourite metal albums of 2007:

Devin Townsend - Ziltoid The Omniscient

Does humour belong in music? Of course it fucking does. Devin "I got fat all of a sudden" Townsend is one of the most consistently creative and brilliant performers in metal for a long time, so no surprises that this was brilliant. And it's a concept album about a puppet searching the universe for the perfect cup of coffee, what's not to like?

Om - Pilgrimage

Four hefty, spiritual, monolithic, HEAVIER THAN A DEATH IN THE FAMILY tracks, and just beautiful to listen to. The kind of doom/drone that you can lose yourself in. Biased because I saw them live and they were incredible, perhaps, but even so, this is an incredible album. Their best yet.

High On Fire - Death Is This Communion

Well....to be honest, this is here because I didn't buy many metal albums last year. While it's good and all, I was disappointed...they're definitely the weak link in the Om/Sleep/High On Fire triangle. I'd probably like it more if I didn't know who they were, as I went in expecting some stoner doom, and came out with something very good, but fairly generic.

Chrome Hoof - Pre-Emptive False Rapture

Despite being rooted in doom (they were formed by the bassist of Cathedral), and having your odd death metal growl, and some BEEFY riffs, I'd actually hesitate to call this a metal album....there's metal enough in there for it to be here to pad out my list, though. One of the most inventive and genuinely original albums I've heard in years...doesn't quite match up to the sheer unparalleled AWESOME of the live show, but my God is this good.

[Farmer Reil]

Here's the top 10 with personal comments in italics:

1. Nightwish - Dark Passion Play (I agree, liked it lots. Would have been my #3 pick)

2. Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos (didn't hear this one - haven't been following DT since Train of Thought, which I didn't like)

3. King Diamond - Give Me Your Soul... Please (didn't hear this either - the only KD I know is from the Dangerous Meeting compilation)

4. Amorphis - Dark Waters (quite good, although maybe not as good as Eclipse and maybe not a top ten album)

5. Behemoth - The Apostasy (haven't heard)

6. Gamma Ray - Land of the Free pt 2 (one of my favourites - only second to the new Chris Caffery)

7. Megadeth - United Abominations (didn't hear. Kind of haven't been into Megadeth that much for over a decade now. I remember listening to Youthanasia when it first came out...)

8. Helloween - Gambling with the Devil (a very nice release, great solos, borderline top ten or maybe low teens)

9. Iced Earth - Framing Armageddon (another good entry - quite a difficult release to get into though. I'd probably rank it just outside the top ten)

10. Symphony X - Paradise Lost (didn't hear)

[VerbalPuke]

I've been listening to this group by the name of Witchtrap lately (seems that you aren't a thrash band unless you have Witch in the name somewhere). Anyway, they're fucking killer man, sort of reminds me of Toxic Holocaust mixed with Skeletonwitch, really good stuff though.

I was wondering, has anybody listened to Mercyful Fate? I've decided I want to check them out, any suggestions on their best work?

[RKOwnage]

Here's the top 10 with personal comments in italics:

1. Nightwish - Dark Passion Play (I agree, liked it lots. Would have been my #3 pick)

2. Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos (didn't hear this one - haven't been following DT since Train of Thought, which I didn't like)

3. King Diamond - Give Me Your Soul... Please (didn't hear this either - the only KD I know is from the Dangerous Meeting compilation)

4. Amorphis - Dark Waters (quite good, although maybe not as good as Eclipse and maybe not a top ten album)

5. Behemoth - The Apostasy (haven't heard)

6. Gamma Ray - Land of the Free pt 2 (one of my favourites - only second to the new Chris Caffery)

7. Megadeth - United Abominations (didn't hear. Kind of haven't been into Megadeth that much for over a decade now. I remember listening to Youthanasia when it first came out...)

8. Helloween - Gambling with the Devil (a very nice release, great solos, borderline top ten or maybe low teens)

9. Iced Earth - Framing Armageddon (another good entry - quite a difficult release to get into though. I'd probably rank it just outside the top ten)

10. Symphony X - Paradise Lost (didn't hear)

My top ten would be:

1. Symphony X - Paradise Lost

2. Novembre - The Blue

3. Sear Bliss - The Arcane Odyssey

4. 3 Inches of Blood - Fire Up the Blades

5. Be`Lakor - The Frail Tide

6. Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos

7. Sanctity - Road to Bloodshed

[RKOwnage]

Here's the top 10 with personal comments in italics:

1. Nightwish - Dark Passion Play (I agree, liked it lots. Would have been my #3 pick)

2. Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos (didn't hear this one - haven't been following DT since Train of Thought, which I didn't like)

3. King Diamond - Give Me Your Soul... Please (didn't hear this either - the only KD I know is from the Dangerous Meeting compilation)

4. Amorphis - Dark Waters (quite good, although maybe not as good as Eclipse and maybe not a top ten album)

5. Behemoth - The Apostasy (haven't heard)

6. Gamma Ray - Land of the Free pt 2 (one of my favourites - only second to the new Chris Caffery)

7. Megadeth - United Abominations (didn't hear. Kind of haven't been into Megadeth that much for over a decade now. I remember listening to Youthanasia when it first came out...)

8. Helloween - Gambling with the Devil (a very nice release, great solos, borderline top ten or maybe low teens)

9. Iced Earth - Framing Armageddon (another good entry - quite a difficult release to get into though. I'd probably rank it just outside the top ten)

10. Symphony X - Paradise Lost (didn't hear)

Edited January 20, 2008 by RKOwnage

[Farmer Reil]

My top nine would be Symphony X - Paradise Lost. #10 would be Helloween - Gambling With The Devil.

2007 was quite a shite year for music I like. 2008 is kicking off with probably my album of the year on January 25th. I haven't decided if that's a good thing (everything else trying to compete) or a bad thing (everything else paling in comparison).

Edited January 20, 2008 by Farmer Reil

[Bushmeister]

That list is almost an exact opposite of my own, Behemoth being even the only one I cared for last year. I posted some in the Best Album Of 2007-thread, but for a quick reference my top 10 for last year looks something like this:

1. Kronos - "The Hellenic Terror"

2. Volh - "Solemn March Into The Ragnarok"

3. Nile - "Ithyphallic"

4. Pelican - "City Of Echoes"

5. Moonsorrow - "Luku V: Hävitetty"

6. Sigh - "Hangman's Hymn"

7. Pig Destroyer - "Phantom Limb"

8. Bilskirnir - "Wotansvolk"

9. Jesu - "Conqueror"

10. Korpiklaani - "Tervaskanto"

Honorable mentions:

Peste Noire - "Folk Fuck Foliery"

Cephalic Carnage - "Xenosapien"

Vomitory - "Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize"

Vital Remains - "Icons Of Evil"

Anaal Nathrakh - "Hell Is Empty And All The Devils Are Here"

Mayhem - "Ordo Ab Chao"

Edited January 20, 2008 by Bushmeister

[Evil Chase K]

The only metal albums of '07 that mattered to me were...

Clutch - Beale Street To Oblivion

Down - Over The Under

Iced Earth - Framing Armageddon

[IAceI]

Any Meshuggah fans? I think they're album may have leaked, I'm contemplating picking it up myself but would like it if some metal heads would give me there thoughts and opinions on it once they've heard it and then I may look to pick it up myself.

So, if I'm right in thinking it has leaked and some of you get hold of it - let me know.

[Bushmeister]

Haven't heard it yet (and yes it has been leaked) but more than likely it will be crushing and fucking awesome, just like Meshuggah always is.

[tristy]

I've never really listened to Meshuggah before, except that one song ("I"?) they have that's like, 20 minutes long. That was pretty badass.

But, yeah, obZen leaked. It's pretty fucking heavy.