the IHM metal thread

[Gaendaal]

I remember some writer observing (most likely from a Punk-standpoint, looking at what I read in the 2 or 3 years) that Heavy Metal adopted Progressive Rock-virtues like virtuosity and complexity.

Another thing coming to mind is that in both styles lyrics dealing with some mythological stuff play a certain role. I don't know if "mythological" is really a good word, but don't lyrics dealing for example with Satan (and fictional evil equivalents) give a nice counterpart to what Yes sing about, on a certain level?

Do you folks think there's any substancial value in those points above?

You could argue the point and you wouldn't necessarily be wrong but the problem is that heavy metal is a HUGE genre that overlaps considerably with many others. There are as many consciously simplistic (and, taking Motorhead as an example, very very punk) metal bands as there are proggy ones.

My take would be that, at root, metal is about riffs and that the best riffs do not have Yngwie Malmsteen twiddling about all over them.

[carlos]

Does anybody like Eyehategod or something similar? I was listening to them the other day and they sound better than Kyuss, Electric Wizard or other stoner metal bands.

yes Eyehategod are mentioned (rather rudely) on the first page of this thread

Kyuss were a great band- i saw them play live on their final tour (1994?) and they were even better live than on record

[ImprovSpirit]

Does anybody like Eyehategod or something similar? I was listening to them the other day and they sound better than Kyuss, Electric Wizard or other stoner metal bands.

yes Eyehategod are mentioned (rather rudely) on the first page of this thread

Kyuss were a great band- i saw them play live on their final tour (1994?) and they were even better live than on record

I think Eyehategod & Electric Wizard are part of what metal is really all about at this point in time. I would also include other sludgegrind bands like Human Quena Orchestra & Monarch. Having survived the commercial metal doldrums of the Hairband era, these bands strike me as closer to the spirit of the metal vanguard as represented by the likes of Black Sabbath, Motorhead & Blue Oyster Cult, as well as Venom, Trouble and a few others that came later. All of this seems to have been dosed with acid and thumped into a different orbit by the Melvins in order to get where we are today.

[Tanner]

Shit, just dropped some money at the Profound Lore e-store. Guess I'll have to wait on the new Cathnors and Erstwhile. Anyway, I have been listening to a lot of Eagle Twin which has an member of Iceburn (collective) -- the album on Southern Lord is righteous Blue Cheer-like guitar freak outs with weird vocals and massive drumming. I would recommend it, but still need more time to take it in, as it's a pretty huge document.

Also, Impetuous Ritual is indeed really awesome-- in fact, it's some of the best death metal I've heard in years. I just can't get into the new brutal tech dm from labels like Willowtip and Prosthetic records. I need some murk and fuzz and plodding drums in there. Although I do think Suffucation is king shit as far as that goes...

Anyone mention Brodequin yet? Speaking of brutality, they were pretty amazing.

[schiksalgemeinschaft]

Bought Napalm Death's Punisment in Capitals a couple of days ago. (New issue on Peaceville, with both audio cd & dvd for the price of one.) Hadn't seen the dvd (recorded in 2002, Enemy of The Music Business was just out), shit, what a show. Apparently it was the first one with a short hair Barney. Ha.

I also picked up their latest, Time waits for no slave, their best since EOTMB imo. After all those years, they still beat the shit out of most other newer death/grind bands.

Also, apparently there's a new Morbid Angel coming out later this year.

[Gaendaal]

Got a review copy of Limbonc Art's Phantasmagoria. Not a patch on their classic period but a welcome return!

[kandu]

Psycroptic (hobart based technical death metal band) - 'The Scepter of the Ancients' (2003).
This release sounds better than Cryptopsy's 'None so Vile'.
Check it out.

[twIXta]

@ The stab at Yngwie: not because I dig Malmsteen, but guitarsolo's are an integral part of (heavy) metal historically. There are some styles (usually in the outer fringes like drone/doom for instance) where I don't miss them, but generally I get rather bored without them. Especially when it's a more traditional band deciding against them to be more modern (not that 'tallica when to got to that stage would've been much better with them ).

[Gaendaal]

@ The stab at Yngwie: not because I dig Malmsteen, but guitarsolo's are an integral part of (heavy) metal historically. There are some styles (usually in the outer fringes like drone/doom for instance) where I don't miss them, but generally I get rather bored without them. Especially when it's a more traditional band deciding against them to be more modern (not that 'tallica when to got to that stage would've been much better with them ).

I'm pretty much the precise opposite. I don't mind a solo now and again (and mostly in older music) but would prefer not to have them, most of the time. Especially the weeeeeeeewiddlywiddlewee fretboard sprints.

It's all about THEE RIFF for me!

[schiksalgemeinschaft]

Just discovered and ordered Krallice and Weakling.

[orangettecoleman]

Just discovered and ordered Krallice and Weakling.

It's a real shame that Weakling didn't get distributed a little more widely because they should have been as big as Isis as far as I'm concerned. "Dead as Dreams" is definitely in the top tier of the very best BM records, or records period regardless of genre IMO...

[Gaendaal]

Probably not entirely metal but I just listened to the Boris/Ian Astbury collab EP.

I'm trying not to laugh, really... Jeez, it's bad.

[Tanner]

Just discovered and ordered Krallice and Weakling.

It's a real shame that Weakling didn't get distributed a little more widely because they should have been as big as Isis as far as I'm concerned. "Dead as Dreams" is definitely in the top tier of the very best BM records, or records period regardless of genre IMO...

Yeah, man. What a great record. I had the pretty righteous vinyl pressing a while back but sold it for a chunk of change during the height of the whole black metal cross over into hipster-land thing (is that still going on?). I'm kind of regretting it. But a cd will do. Maybe Tumult will reissue it on vinyl again sometime. There's a newer band called Dead as Dreams out, and they apparently sound like-- you guessed it-- Weakling. Although I haven't heard them yet.

Although not entirely metal, there was a great black metal influenced hardcore band around in the mid 90s from Quebec called One Eyed God Prophecy that is really searching out if you dig the atmospheric stuff akin to Weakling's more out moments. It's pretty primal, emotionally draining stuff, and seems anomolous in regards to what was going on in those days... members of the equally great but less black metal Union of Uranus were involved. Their one LP (s/t) is pretty easily available used or on mp3 blogs and is IMO a forgotten classic. Other bands along those lines and time could be Jonah and Drift, both from the same area and both having a somewhat bleak, BM influence to them, although not as apparent as OEGP. Honestly, not sure where they fit in among the metal/punk divide. Good stuff, though.

[howsthatsound]

i've mostly been listening to necrophagist and wormed. i might give devourment a shot, but i'm always leery of this newer slammy shit.

anyone know of anything similar to necrophagist i might want to try? i'm a sucker for techy shit, with the megaman, nintendo sounding solos, but stuff like decrepit birth takes it too far for me. there has to be at least some hook too. i checked out brain drill on a recommendation based on wormed, but it was too all over the place.

[Gaendaal]

Listened to Cobalt's 'Landfill Breastmilk Beast' for possibly the second time since buying it back when it came out and it's surprisingly awesome. Lot's of Immortal-isms going on, with a nice juggernaut pace, but enough quirky strangess to keep it interesting.

[quinn]

Howl released Full Of Hell this year, and it's incredible

[schiksalgemeinschaft]

Howl released Full Of Hell this year, and it's incredible

judging by 2 songs on their myspace, it's more of a less a mastodon/baroness etc ripoff. or am i missing something?

[Tanner]

Listening to a lot Revenge (j.read from Conqueror/Axis of Advance)-- rely out of control and manic black/grind/death (how I love labels). It's a bit ridiculous really, but pretty convincing in it's complete over-the-topness. I still can't get over how Read is into this vague theory of the" Superion" - a Nietzsche-like Superman thing (I assume) he created- especially as "Superion" is a name for a Decepticon from the Transformers.

Brings up a question -- how do you all come to terms with the often sketchy political motivations of some of these musicians (obviously Burzum/Mayhem/Graveland come immediately to mind)? How far do you seperate the art from the artist? Is there a line to be drawn? I'm still chewing over my own thoughts on it, as my listening in this area has become more indepth...

[carlos]

Revenge & Conqueror are great. some bands that have a similar chaotic style: Black Witchery, Bestial Warlust, Proclamation, Blasphemy-

[.bzr]

I've been listening to Haemoth over and over again during the past few weeks. They perfectly embody black metal to me, their "Satanik Terrorism" is by far one of the most intense song I've ever head. Too bad they refuse to play live, but isn't it being "Black Metal' after all? I mean: stay in your basement, hit your drum and never show up...