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The Metal Thread
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DimmuBurgerKing
Member
Melchiah said:
Respectable choice. Mine would be Darkthrone's Transilvanian Hunger. Talk about atmosphere...
Dr. Strangelove
I'M COOCOO FOR COCO CRISP!
All of the Darkthrone love I'm seeing here pleases me.
New single from Equilibrium! Its [as always] good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsh4a3ACNg8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsh4a3ACNg8
DieNgamers
Member
For some reason nearly all of their songs sound like variations of the others to me. :lolDieH@rd said:
Their "Met" song is always a crowd favourite in a local club I go to.
Melchiah
Member
Dr. Strangelove said:
Well, their recent offerings are just carbage, Fenriz's lyrics are so far below those of the glorious old days. They should have quitted after Transilvanian Hunger, like they originally planned.
Of the more recent bands I'd recommend Funeral Mist, DeathSpell Omega, Behexen and Gnaw Their Tongues, although the latter is more dark ambient/industrial black.
sazabirules
Unconfirmed Member
DieH@rd said:
The new song sounds pretty good for losing their drummer and singer.
Dr. Strangelove
I'M COOCOO FOR COCO CRISP!
The recent Darkthrone offerings are not garbage. They're obviously very different from their old black metal days, but the new shit is a lot of fun. Circle the Wagons is one of the best records released so far this year. I know I can't be the only one who feels this way.Melchiah said:
I AM THE WORKING CLASS
Giant Robot
Member
Melchiah said:
as much as I love Under A Funeral Moon, I prefer Transylvanian Hunger when listened one right after the other. The title track and Skald Av Stans Sol's riffs are so undeniably cold, pure, and atmospheric as fuck. A Blaze In The Northern Sky is way up there for me, but obviously their growing stage into a "pure black metal" phase. The drumming on ABITNS is just fucking flawless.
However i think the most perfect black metal song has to be Det Som En Gang Var off the Hvis Lyset Tar Oss album from Burzum.
Melchiah
Member
Giant Robot said:
Burzum has never really hitted for me, and truthfully I find his releases far overrated. Without the church burnings and whatnot, I think many wouldn't hold Burzum as highly as they do. Not to mention, that Belus would most probably have recieved far less enthusiasm, if the album hadn't been Burzum's.
Transilvanian Hunger has some memorable and atmospheric songs, but I think the songs, the vocals, and the lyrics are not of the same quality as they were on the two previous albums.
Dr. Strangelove
I'M COOCOO FOR COCO CRISP!
Belus has received a lukewarm response at best though. The problem with Belus is that while many of the things it does are new for a Burzum record, all of these were already done by someone else while Varg was in the clink. The game done passed him by.Melchiah said:
DimmuBurgerKing
Member
Dr. Strangelove said:
Yeah, it's not a bad album by any stretch, despite the change in style. A friend of mine heard the intro to "I am the Working Class" and asked me if it was Motörhead. :lol They started as a death metal band, so a shift in musical direction is nothing new for them. I still miss the "old" Darkthrone of UaFM and Transilvanian Hunger, but diversity is something I can respect.
Phobophile
A scientist and gentleman in the manner of Batman.
Melchiah said:
I believe in quite the opposite. Darkthrone's brand of second-wave black metal has aged piss poorly, whereas Burzum's fuzzed out, more organic sound, has had a much longer impact on modern black metal.
Sure, Belus has a been-there-done-that vibe to it but it's good to have Varg do another album in such a long time. I'm sure with due time he'll adapt with the dynamic and changing metal scene or he'll just fade away.
Since we're talking black metal, has anyone checked out Aosoth? Features Mkm (formerly?) of Antaeus, which is another BM band I really dig.
http://www.myspace.com/aosoth616
http://www.myspace.com/aosoth616
Dr. Strangelove
I'M COOCOO FOR COCO CRISP!
Classic Darkthrone has been a big influence on all of the ultra shitty raw KVLT black metal bands with zero talent that record tapes in their parents' basement. Not all of the bands sticking to that lo-fi sound are bad, but man, you have to dig through a whole lot of bullshit to find something halfway decent. I still love the old Darkthrone records though. They never used their production as a crutch like many current raw BM acts do, and they certainly have a great deal of talent.Phobophile said:
I agree that Burzum's impact has been greater, and Varg's willingness to experiment paved the way for so many of the best bands currently making music in the BM scene. I actually really liked the closing track on Belus, and would love to see him further explore that territory in the future. Varg is still a total piece of shit though.
Shrike_Priest
Member
Am I the only one that loved Belus? Sure, a lot of it has been done before (hell, some of the material is 15+ years old), but it's a great album. If it weren't for all the Burzum-worship out there, it'd feel a lot more original. I think you can appreciate it for what it is. In the context of his own discography it definitely makes sense.
I also think that songs like Kaimadalthas Nedstigning actually come across as somewhat innovative. The layered spoken word/clean vocals are awesome, and quite unique to that sphere of BM.
Anyways, gotta get into Primordial. Heard great things about them.
Also, best black metal album? Nattens Madrigal, by a mile.
As for PEM, there's solid craftsmanship on it, but Enthrone Darkness Triumphant is still their best album. There's very little of interest for me in the following albums.
I also think that songs like Kaimadalthas Nedstigning actually come across as somewhat innovative. The layered spoken word/clean vocals are awesome, and quite unique to that sphere of BM.
Anyways, gotta get into Primordial. Heard great things about them.
Also, best black metal album? Nattens Madrigal, by a mile.
As for PEM, there's solid craftsmanship on it, but Enthrone Darkness Triumphant is still their best album. There's very little of interest for me in the following albums.
Hypertrooper
Member
My perfect black metal album is In the Nightside Eclipse by Emperor. I love it. Btw. Emperor is the best black metal band of all time for meTheLastCandle said:
Btw. cant wait to hear the new Misery Index or Aeon album.
I also loved Belus. Fantastic album. I only learned it was out recently and hadn't heard any of the pre-release chatter, so I didn't know what to expect. Would it be more industrial? Less metal/guitar based? More ambient? Regardless, I assumed it would be an abomination of a record. I figured if it was metal it would feel like a shallow, soulless cash-grab, and if it was true to Varg's artistic vision it would be based in some tedious electro-ambient-noise genre I didn't care about.
For me, Burzum peaked at Hvis Lyset Tar Oss. Filosofem was too industrial (vocals ruined it), and though I appreciated Daudi Balders and Hlidskjalf I didn't really enjoy them. So I was pretty shocked to find that Belus picks up right where Hvis Lyset Tar Oss left off. Catchy riffs, compelling atmospheres, hypnotic song structures that don't become tedious, and the best vocals on any Burzum record. It might not be revolutionary in terms of the genre, but it's a damn good record. It's also by far the most consistent Burzum album. It maintains a sense of wholeness rarely captured in his recent releases and sorely absent from his older material. I listen to it as an album rather than a collection of songs, which is something I rarely care to do with other Burzum CDs. Biggest musical surprise of the decade for me.
For me, Burzum peaked at Hvis Lyset Tar Oss. Filosofem was too industrial (vocals ruined it), and though I appreciated Daudi Balders and Hlidskjalf I didn't really enjoy them. So I was pretty shocked to find that Belus picks up right where Hvis Lyset Tar Oss left off. Catchy riffs, compelling atmospheres, hypnotic song structures that don't become tedious, and the best vocals on any Burzum record. It might not be revolutionary in terms of the genre, but it's a damn good record. It's also by far the most consistent Burzum album. It maintains a sense of wholeness rarely captured in his recent releases and sorely absent from his older material. I listen to it as an album rather than a collection of songs, which is something I rarely care to do with other Burzum CDs. Biggest musical surprise of the decade for me.
Phobophile
A scientist and gentleman in the manner of Batman.
Aske said:
Hvis Lyset and Filosofem are my favorites. Burzum/Aske aged a bit poorly and comes off as a fucking joke at times.
THIS IS
HUH
WOAH
Hypertrooper said:
The synths ruin it for me. The distortion is layered and noisy enough as it is and they toss in fucking cheesy keyboards on top? The juxtaposition just kinda sucks. That and the songwriting is just marginally above average, at best. Is it a quintessential black metal album? Yes, it embodies most of the qualities of 2nd-wave BM and is a great starting point but this album leaves me dissatisfied every time I listen to it.
Dr. Strangelove
I'M COOCOO FOR COCO CRISP!
:lol That part will never get old. My favorite Burzum is definitely Hvis Lyset. If I were going to make a list of all time favorite black metal albums, it would certainly be high on the list.Phobophile said:
Oh, and good call by the guy who mentioned Ulver's Nattens Madrigal. I prefer Bergtatt, but Nattens is definitely how you do raw black metal properly.
Phobophile said:
I don't think Burzum/Aske has aged poorly in the sense that what was good is still good and what's bad was always bad. War was always a painfully silly sore spot on the first album, but Feeble Screams From Forests Unknown and A Lost Forgotten Sad Spirit remain some of my favourite Burzum tracks. The rest of the material on those releases feels like a mish-mash of experimental ideas with varying levels of success. Det Som Engang Var (the album) has the same issues. Two stand out tracks (Lost Wisdom, Key to the Gate) and then a pick and mix of ideas which never feel very coherent.
Hvis Lyset Tar Oss was the first Burzum album that felt like more than a musical sketch pad, and every track on it is solid. Det Som Engang Var (the track) is my favourite Burzum song, Tomhet is an experiment that works perfectly, and the title track and Inn I Slottet Fra Droemmen are solid compositions, if a little weak weak by comparison to the songs which bookend them. Belus is the album I wanted Varg to make after Hvis Lyset Tar Oss, and looking back, Filosofem would be the kind if album I expected from him in 2010.
I do understand the Filosofem love though. It's not my cup of tea, but I can't deny the quality of the music.
Phobophile
A scientist and gentleman in the manner of Batman.
Dr. Strangelove said:
Oh don't give me that raw bullshit. The songwriting is pristine and melodic; turning up the treble to 11 and overproducing doesn't make the album raw.
DimmuBurgerKing
Member
EzLink said:Oh fuck yes, Eluveitie/Amon Amarth tomorrow. I'm so excited
Amon Amarth put on a fucking awesome show when I saw them with Skeletonwitch and Goatwhore last year.
TheLastCandle
Member
EzLink said:
Watched it right before work. Not a whole lot of anything new, but I'll take whatever I can get. It's sounding very riffy, which is always a good thing.
paranoidfortean
Member
I usually just listen to the really big bands in metal everyone hears of, but digging through this thread brought me to Avantasia. Wow. Wow. I usually hate bands that sound like this , but these guys are all kinds of awesome.
ajim
Member
So I found out yesterday that one of my lecturers, Renato Gallina, was actually the frontman of Aussie doom metal band 'Disembowelment'. Which is funny, because the guy seems like the total opposite of a guy that was in a metal band: buys and wears prada, luis vuitton etc and just doesn't have this 'I was in a Metal band' aura to him at all.
The more you know...
The more you know...
ajim said:
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On another note... the new Rhapsody album have leaked, and I've finally listened to it from start to finish. My first impression is that it's fucking awesome; the two weakest track being the first (Sea of Fate) and the last (The Frozen Tears of Angels) - but everything in between sounds great. Sea of Fate is by no means bad, but next to opening songs like Dawn of Victory, Knightrider, Emerald Sword, Unholy Warcry... it doesn't compare, and doesn't reflect the album at all.
TheLastCandle
Member
El_Victor said:
---
On another note... the new Rhapsody album have leaked, and I've finally listened to it from start to finish. My first impression is that it's fucking awesome; the two weakest track being the first (Sea of Fate) and the last (The Frozen Tears of Angels) - but everything in between sounds great. Sea of Fate is by no means bad, but next to opening songs like Dawn of Victory, Knightrider, Emerald Sword, Unholy Warcry... it doesn't compare, and doesn't reflect the album at all.
I'm hyped as hell for this album. I think Sea of Fate is KILLER, so I have high hopes.
Acheteedo said:
Basically Symphonic "Black Metal"...well not really. The main reason for the reaction was the fact that you declared it a perfect black metal album. I am no BM purist. I mean I love my Immortal now and again but Dimmu Borgir is like you said just overproduced and shouldn't be considered black metal. I also don't really care for genres and sub genres but that statement is just ludicrous.
Acheteedo
Member
firen said:
Hey, it holds true for me, I wasn't speaking for anyone but myself. PEM is what I want black metal to be, very aggressive and plenty of time taken in the studio to make it all crisp and audible. The complaint of overproduction has always been odd to me, as music gets more aggressive it requires heavy production in order to maintain audible quality. The classically underproduced stuff often takes several listens to even begin appreciating. With the overproduced stuff, bam it's right there, stick in yer headphones and get ear-raped, hell, most of the albums that get labelled "overproduced" are my favourites. Black metal too often lacks front, it lacks punch, too much substance and no style. Too much time getting bent out of shape over lyrical meaning and band backgrounds, not enough time spend on the actual sound.
Giant Robot
Member
you can still have good production i.e. Immortal-Pure Holocaust, Absu, or any Summoning albums.Acheteedo said:
Dimmu Borgir's PEM is just in the same league as Cradle of Filth and later Emperor with their over the top symphonic circus antics.
vatstep
This poster pulses with an appeal so broad the typical restraints of our societies fall by the wayside.
I saw Krallice the other day they opened with a new song, and I recorded it. It's really, really good.
If you want to hear/see: http://vimeo.com/11058562
Otherwise, it was nice to see them play stuff from Dimensional Bleedthrough and be able to recognize it, since the last time I saw them, that was all they played and the record wasn't out yet. The songs translate very well live they're much more raw than on record, which is great.
If you want to hear/see: http://vimeo.com/11058562
Otherwise, it was nice to see them play stuff from Dimensional Bleedthrough and be able to recognize it, since the last time I saw them, that was all they played and the record wasn't out yet. The songs translate very well live they're much more raw than on record, which is great.
British Monsoon
Member
corkscrewblow said:
I'm not a huge fan of black metal, but i'd reccomend Bergtatt and Nattens Madrigal by Ulver - Bergtatt is just a fantastic album that at times is beautifully atmospheric, and brutal at others. Nattens Madrigal on the other hand is an underproduced wall of hypnotic black metal noise, probably not for everyone but if you can get into it there's some fantastic music on offer.
DimmuBurgerKing
Member
corkscrewblow said:
Bootaaay's suggestions are good. I will say the first black metal album I ever heard (and still counted among my all-time favorite albums, period) was Burzum's Hvis Lyset Tar Oss. Other than that, you can't go wrong with early Mayhem, Darkthrone's Transilvanian Hunger, or Immortal's Pure Holocaust. And maybe Emperor's In the Nightside Eclipse if you're interested in symphonic BM. There's a ton of good shit out there, but I think all of those are good enough places to start.
corkscrewblow said:
I think bands that have folk elements are often great places to start with black metal, especially if you like Agalloch. Try Drudkh - Autumn Aurora. Amazing atmospheric, folk black metal. Maybe also try Burzum - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss. It was one of the albums that got me into the genre.
Also, I just want to say that Deathspell Omega - Si Monvmentvm Reqvires, Circvmspice is the best black metal album of all time (although definitely not a good place start with the genre).
Melchiah
Member
corkscrewblow said:
I think Darkthrone's A Blaze in the Northern Sky is a perfect album to start with. I'd also recommend Bathory's Under the Sign of the Black Mark + MayheM's De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas.
Ulver's albums might be great musically, but they're really not black metal; influenced by satanic themes.
British Monsoon
Member
Melchiah said:
Granted, Bergtatt's not purely black metal, but if you wouldn't describe Nattens Madrigal as black metal either, then what genre is it?
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